Nikolaj Ehlers to Detroit was "Unlikely," Says NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman

There are several new faces that have joined the Detroit Red Wings for the upcoming 2025-26 NHL season, both via free agency and trade. 

While the additions have provided Detroit with solid depth, they aren't considered to be major difference makers in the vein of a Mitch Marner or Nikolaj Ehlers, both of whom the Red Wings were reportedly interested in.

If the Red Wings are to make a major splash this offseason, it will likely come through a trade. 

As far as Detroit not landing a major name in free agency, the chances of Ehlers choosing the Red Wings were slim, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

"As Yzerman said, I don't think Ehlers was a realistic option, I don't think that was ever going to happen," Friedman explained during Sunday's edition of '32 Thoughts: The Podcast'. 

Marner is now with the Vegas Golden Knights after a sign-and-trade deal from the Toronto Maple Leafs, while Ehlers signed a six-year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes. 

HERE WE GO 🤩

Nikolaj Ehlers has signed with the @Canes for six years! 🌀 #NHLFreeAgencypic.twitter.com/wEWbkOapPm

— NHL (@NHL) July 3, 2025

Friedman then went on to explain that the Red Wings allegedly had interest in Viktor Arvidsson, who had previously played for coach Todd McLellan with the Los Angeles Kings, along with Mason Marchment; both players ultimately landed elsewhere. 

"I think he had some interest in (Viktor) Arvidsson, because Arvidsson had some success with Todd Todd McLellan in LA, but he ended up in Boston," Friedman said. "I heard that the Red Wings like Mason Marchment, but he ended up in Seattle. There were some things he wanted to do that he wasn't able to do."

Arvidsson was traded by the Edmonton Oilers to the Boston Bruins, while Marchment was traded by the Dallas Stars to the Seattle Kraken. 

Yzerman has given term to unrestricted free agents in recent years, signing both Andrew Copp and J.T. Compher to five-year contracts in the 2022 and 2023 offseasons, respectively. He also signed defenseman Ben Chiarot to a four-year contract in 2022. 

Friedman concluded by saying he doesn't see Yzerman offering long-term contracts to outside free agents unless it would be a "big home run".

"Unless he can hit a big home run, and this year it would have been a guy like Ehlers, he's going going to do that anymore with four or five-year terms," Friedman said. 

So far, Detroit's signings in free agency have all been short term commitments. James van Riemsdyk was signed to a one-year, $1 million deal, while Mason Appleton signed a two-year, $5.8 million deal.

Additionally, Jacob Bernard-Docker, Ian Mitchell, and John Leonard were signed to one-year contracts, all with a cap hit of less than $1 million. 

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