One of the post-mortem storylines of the Detroit Red Wings 2025-26 season was their lack of depth. While injuries played a role in the team running out of gas, the lack of veteran depth down the stretch impeded the Wings from hanging on to a playoff spot.
The addition of Justin Faulk certainly helped on the blue line. But it wasn’t enough. The return of David Perron didn’t factor much as he spent some time on the shelf down the stretch. And even if he had been fully healthy, the Red Wings needed more.
That’s why this offseason, Detroit would do well to target more depth via the free-agent market. So, here’s a look at three depth UFA forwards the club could target.
3 Red Wings UFA Depth Forwards to Target
Charlie Coyle
One of the most coveted forwards, should he hit the market, is Charlie Coyle. Coyle has been a bit of a journeyman the last couple of seasons. Last year, he played for the Boston Bruins before going to the Colorado Avalanche in a trade deadline deal.
Then, the Avalanche shipped Coyle to the Columbus Blue Jackets in an evident cap-dump move. In Columbus, Coyle had a great year. He scored 20 goals and 58 points in all 82 games. He was a solid middle-six center, playing his usually reliable defensive game.
For the Red Wings, Coyle could be a great 3C, potentially moving up the lineup if need be. He and Andrew Copp could provide depth behind Dylan Larkin. Since injuries will inevitably become an issue at one point or another, having someone like Coyle in the mix would certainly ease the burden all around.
Ilya Mikheyev
The Russian speedster will likely hit the UFA market this year. The Chicago Blackhawks simply have too many good, young forwards on the roster and in the pipeline. So, Mikheyev could very well be a victim of a major lineup squeeze play.
That’s where the Red Wings could land a decent middle-six winger to play up and down the lineup. Mikheyev still has great speed, he’s a solid penalty killer, and can play in various spots throughout the lineup.
Best of all, Mikheyev wouldn’t cost an arm and a leg. In fact, he might be willing to take a one-year, show-me deal just to prove he’s worthy of one more multi-year contract. Signing Mikheyev could be a low-risk proposition as the Wings look to support their young, up-and-coming forwards.
Red Wings Could Get Muscle with A.J. Greer
The Florida Panthers had a year to forget. But amid the insane number of injuries and issues, one depth player emerged with a career season: A.J. Greer.
As injuries pummeled the Panthers, Greer found himself with much more playing time than usual. That situation allowed him to set career-highs across the board.
Now, the Red Wings should be careful with overpaying a guy who had a great year based on extenuating circumstances. But bringing Greer into the mix is the sort of depth move the Wings need to keep in mind.
It wouldn’t be a stretch to see Greer playing a bottom-six role, occasionally moving up if needed. For instance, seeing Greer on a line with J.T. Compher and, say, Michael Brandsegg-Nygard wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.
Alternatively, Greer could play that older brother role. He could be the force that keeps the bullies away in the schoolyard while the more talented forwards do their thing. Oh, and Greer could chip in offensively. If he could notch double digits in goals, well, that would just be a fantastic outcome.
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