Hellberg Latest Ex-Red Wings Player to Find New Home

Is eight enough for former Detroit Red Wings goalie Magnus Hellberg? Guess we’re gonna find out.

The Swedish netminder, two seasons removed from his Detroit stint, is joining the Dallas Stars. He was signing with them as an unrestricted free agent on Tuesday.

We have signed Magnus Hellberg to a one-year, two-way contract.

Welcome to #TexasHockey, Magnus!

MORE: https://t.co/DSMVtoYI3f pic.twitter.com/0HWjGGu8MD

— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) August 13, 2024

Dallas is Hellberg’s eighth NHL club. Along with the Red Wings, he’s also been with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators, Seattle Kraken, Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators and New York Rangers. Amazingly, those stops have come over a seven-season span and have seen Hellberg appear in just 26 NHL games.

Hellberg would play 18 of those games while wearing the winged wheel – one in 2021-22 and 17 more in 2022-23.

He’s the latest former Detroit player to find a new home, but there are still plenty of ex-Red Wings walking the NHL unemployment line.

Kubalik Linked To Maple Leafs

Might Dominik Kubalik be leaving one of the NHL’s Ontario clubs for the other? The Czech winger was dealt by Detroit to the Ottawa Senators last summer in the trade that brought Alex DeBrincat to the Red Wings.

The Leafs should take a flyer on Dominik Kubalik

Former 30G scorer, 20G-45PT season in 22-23 with DET

Rough year with the Sens, could get him on the cheap, wonder what he could do with Toronto’s top talents#LeafsForever

— Colin McComish (@ColinMccomish) July 8, 2024

Ottawa was opting to let Kubalik depart as a UFA at season’s end after he was scoring a career-low 11 goals in 2023-24. Now, there’s speculation that the Toronto Maple Leafs might be kicking the tires on making a Kubalik addition. The Leafs have about $1.3 million in available cap space.

Kubalik’s name has also been mentioned in connection to Swiss club Ambri-Piotta.

Vrana Wants to Remain In North America

No team has made a nibble toward former Wings forward Jakub Vrana. He would finish last season with the AHL Springfield Thunderbirds following a demotion from the St. Louis Blues. The season prior, Detroit sent him to the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins and ultimately would deal Vrana to the Blues.

Those close to Vrana say that it’s his desire to continue to play in North America. He’s still of the belief that he can make it back to the NHL. Vrana might even be willing to take an AHL deal just to keep that possibility open.

Former Red Wings Zadina On The Outs

Making the worst decision since the introduction of new Coke, winger Filip Zadina would walk away from a guaranteed $4.65 million from the Red Wings in order to become a UFA. He’d sign a one-year pact with the San Jose Sharks for $1.1 million, but they would walk away from Zadina after that one year.

Word in NHL circles is that Zadina isn’t even getting any calls from teams on this side of the Atlantic Ocean. Reports out of his native Czechia are suggesting that Zadina might return to his homeland to play for his dad Marek, coach of Padubice in the Czech Extraliga.

Other Red Wings Looking For Work

Among other ex-Wings who were NHL players last season and are currently without work are forwards Adam Erne and Sam Gagner, defensemen Gustav Lindstrom, Marc Staal and goalie Michael Hutchinson.

Others with a Detroit connection who are still without a hockey home for the 2024-25 season are goalie Keith Petruzzelli, defensemen Villi Saarijarvi and Mark Pysyk and forwards Turner Elson, Taro Hirose, Matt Luff and Kailer Yamamoto.