As the Detroit Red Wings try to finally end the NHL’s longest active playoff drought, the front office is already working through a pretty significant reset this summer. A veteran group of UFAs, including three former Ottawa Senators, looks set to move on.
Red Wings cutting ties with 3 former Senators
David Perron
Perron is back on the market after a tough second stint in Detroit. He had originally signed a two-year deal with Ottawa back in 2024, gave them some secondary scoring, and then was flipped back to the Red Wings at the deadline for a fourth-round pick. The reunion in Detroit never really got traction. A sports hernia slowed him down, and he never really found his rhythm, finishing with just three goals in 16 games. At 38, with the injury history and pace of his game, he’s likely looking at a short-term depth role somewhere, probably with a contender if he keeps playing.
Travis Hamonic
Hamonic’s year in Detroit was pretty quiet, and the writing was kind of on the wall early. He signed a one-year deal late in the summer to give the Red Wings some extra depth on the right side, but it never really turned into a consistent role. He played just 26 games, spent a lot of nights as a healthy scratch, and never really settled into the lineup. At 35, he’s now in that awkward spot where a guaranteed NHL job isn’t automatic anymore, and it may come down to a PTO or a league-minimum depth deal with a contender.
Cam Talbot
Talbot’s time in Detroit also looks like it’s coming to an end after a difficult season in net. The 38-year-old, who has bounced through Ottawa, Los Angeles, and Detroit in recent years, struggled behind a Red Wings team that had its fair share of defensive issues. He finished with a 3.10 goals-against average and an .883 save percentage in 34 appearances, and the numbers tell most of the story there.
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