Steve Yzerman and the Red Wings have had a quiet start to free agency, but jumped in the fray with a deal for veteran forward James van Riemsdyk.
Detroit has signed van Riemsdyk to a one-year, $1 million deal, with bonuses that could push the value higher. The 36-year-old van Riemsdyk was once a 30-goal scorer for the Maple Leafs, but is well removed from his prime, averaging 13 goals over the last three seasons.
Still, a big-bodied winger at 6'3, van Riemsdyk should add some thump and scoring to Detroit's bottom six, which the team was lacking last season. He scored 16 goals and 36 points in 71 games last year with the Blue Jackets, and does most of his damage at the net front.
The Red Wings have also signed two young defensemen who have yet to fully latch on in the NHL: Jacob Bernard-Docker for one year and $875,000, and Ian Mitchell for one year and $775,000.
Bernard-Docker went from Ottawa to Buffalo last season in the Dylan Cozens trade, playing third-pair minutes for both teams. A 6'1, right-hand shot, he was a first-round pick of the Senators in 2018. He has six goals and 24 points in 144 NHL games.
Mitchell, a second-round pick of the Blackhawks in 2017, was traded to the Bruins in 2023 and spent most of last season in the AHL. He's a 6'0, right-hand shot who has 19 points over 110 NHL games.