NHL Rumors: Detroit Red Wings 'exploring the market' for 33-year-old winger as contract nears end

The Detroit Red Wings might be moving on from Vladimir Tarasenko after just one season with the team. He's set to enter the final year of his two-year contract, which makes him an expiring contract that contending teams typically love adding for one-year runs.

The Red Wings fired their coach in 2024-25 and missed the playoffs, so they're looking ahead to the future. They don't believe that future involves the 33-year-old winger, so they're looking to get something that will be useful beyond his service.

NHL insider David Pagnotta reported:

"Another name to keep tabs on this month: Vladimir Tarasenko, who is going into the final year of his contract. His name is out there again and the Detroit Red Wings are exploring the market."

Tarasenko has been on five teams since an All-Star season in 2022-2023. Even last year, for the Red Wings, he put up 33 points and was a solid player for the team.

Tarasenko figures to have a few suitors, especially teams looking for short-term boosts to their scoring. He is not in his prime anymore, and he's not scoring 60+ points like he did in his prime, but he still has some value to teams looking for a short-term, relatively cheap rental.

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Detroit Red Wings linked to star free agent in latest odds

Could Mitch Marner be headed to the Detroit Red Wings? It's possible. The right wing is set to hit the market after a 102-point season (27 goals, 75 assists) and a deep playoff run.

Mitch Marner could land with the Detroit Red Wings (Imagn)

The odds recently dropped for his next team if he does leave the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Wings are +3500 (Yahoo! Sports). They represent a team in need of scoring and high-end talent that has the money to spend. They're also looking to boost their roster since they missed the playoffs last season by a fairly slim margin.

Detroit does have about $21.3 million in projected cap space, but it has to make several signings before doing much else. Then, it can possibly turn its focus to the highly sought-after Marner, who is probably looking at a $14 million cap hit.