The Detroit Red Wings have made some moves to try and sure things up on the defensive side of things. They went out and signed a few defensemen this off-season, and one of them is bringing some veteran presence to the table that should be beneficial moving forward.
The team agreed to a one-year, $4.125 million contract with Shayne Gostisbehere, bringing in the nine-year veteran to join the team’s defense core. Gostisbehere is one of those defenders who has been a proven defender at the NHL level.
However, Gostisbehere is looking for a big prove-it season. He’s proved himself in the past, but he will try to prove himself once again in a new home with some new stipulations on the line. Since he is on a one-year deal, there’s a lot to look at when it comes to Gostisbehere.
He’s coming out and looking to earn another contract in Detroit or prove to be trade bait for a contender. It’s one or the other, but Gostisbehere has to come out and prove that he can continue to be the player he has been in past seasons.
Detroit Red Wings defender Shayne Gostisbehere looking to prove himself.
For the Red Wings, they’re hoping that Gostisbehere can be a solid addition to the team’s defensive efforts. There’s plenty to like, whether it’s serving as an offensive defenseman in the team’s second-pairing or being a power-play specialist to help the team’s second unit.
Gostisbehere is coming off the 2022-23 season, where he was traded at the deadline and sent from the Arizona Coyotes to the Carolina Hurricanes, where he finished the season. He logged 75 total games last season, where he scored 13 goals and added 28 assists for 41 total points.
After a mid-season trade in 2022-23, Gostisbehere is no stranger to being a rental. But after signing a one-year contract in Detroit, he could be in a similar situation once again. He’s going out there and looking to prove that Steve Yzerman should keep him around or prove that he can benefit a contender if the Red Wings were to unload some assets.
It’s an intriguing situation, but I like his odds to be an asset for Detroit this year and tap into some offense. With the team looking to take some leaps in their performance, the addition of Gostisbehere is only going to help them accomplish this.
Between overall point production and special teams performance, the Red Wings’ new additions should help them continue to improve things and hopefully be a contender.