Swedish Goalie Explains Why Red Wings Rumors Cooled

It was back in early April when the Arvid Holm to the Detroit Red Wings rumors were beginning to surface.

It is expected that Detroit will sign 6'5, free agent netminder, Arvid Holm at the conclusion of the season

The 26-year-old won the Honken Trophy as the SHL's top netminder by posting a 0.925 SV% across 35 games for Rögle BK

He was originally drafted by Winnipeg in the 6th… pic.twitter.com/iHGMBabVN1

— Cam Robinson (@Hockey_Robinson) April 4, 2025

There was some sense to such talk. Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman was making note of the thin crop of UFA NHL goalies that were going to be on the market come July 1.

Behind returning veterans Cam Talbot and Petr Mrazek, he was going to require an experienced pro goaltender to at the very least share the load with top prospect Sebastian Coass with the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins. Yzerman also needed to be sure he had another goalie who would be capable of playing at the NHL level in a pinch.

Holm could check off several of those boxes. At 26, he’s a well experienced pro puckstopper. A sixth-round draft pick of the Winnipeg Jets in 2017, Holm spent three seasons in the AHL from 2021-24. At 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, he’s certainly carrying NHL size.

As well, he was coming off a sensational season with Rogle of the SHL. Posting a .925 save percentage and 1.90 goals-against average with four shutouts in 35 games, Holm was winning the Honken Trophy as the SHL’s top netminder.

Yet it never came to be and now, Holm is explaining why.

Red Wings Among Many NHL Suitors

“It has been a long journey,” Holm said, according to reporting from Swedish website Helsingborg Dagland. The Red Wings were evidently among several NHL teams reaching out to the Swedish netminder.

“We went out early and contact was made early,” Holm explained. “There have been many interviews with clubs that wanted to hear from us.”

Ultimately, when the June 15 deadline for NHL teams to sign players under contract to European clubs came to pass, Holm was remaining to finish his deal with Rogle. That contract runs through 2027.

So no Arvid Holm in #LGRW

I have no confidence at all with the two signed goalers on the NHL roster.

So what now?

Skinner might be cheap in a couple of days.

— Lars Thorsell (@LarsThorsell) June 16, 2025

Instead, the Red Wings were signing Czech goalie Michal Postava as a free agent.

Holm doesn’t seem to be able to rationalize what was happening that led to no NHL pact coming to fruition for him.

“It has continued,” Holm said of the uncertainty. “That’s part of it. A lot of questions from people who want to know.

“I myself have felt that I didn’t know and then people may have a hard time accepting that it is actually so.”