Getty The Detroit Red Wings may buy out Justin Holl.
NHL insider Max Bultman of The Athletic believes the Detroit Red Wings will look to buy out Justin Holl in the summer of 2025.
Detroit signed Holl to a three-year $10.2 million deal on July 1, 2023, after his tenure with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Holl was supposed to help stabilize the Red Wings defense but he struggled in his first year in Detroit.
After Holl struggled in the 2023-24 NHL season, he was linked as a buyout candidate this summer, but Detroit didn’t do it. However, Bultman believes if Holl doesn’t improve his game he will be bought out in 2025.
“They likely didn’t want to be on the hook for four years of dead cap that would have come with a buyout. It wasn’t a massive number ($1.13 million each year), but four years is a long time to pay dead cap. The Red Wings’ management team likely believes Holl can play. Whether Lalonde uses him is another question, but I don’t get the sense from Yzerman that he thinks Holl is a lost cause,” Bultman wrote in his article.
“Your point about the cap hit sitting in the press box is good, but the Red Wings probably don’t expect to be quite as lucky injury-wise this season as they were in 2023-24 — and if that’s the case, Holl could play more this season. But if he doesn’t and he’s again a $3.4 million scratch for most of the season, I’d have to imagine they’ll explore a buyout next year, for just two years of dead cap at the same $1.13 million cost,” Bultman added.
Buying out Holl next season makes it more reasonable for Detroit as the Red Wings would only have to pay him $1.13 million for two more years.
Holl skated in 38 games recording 0 goals and 5 assists for 5 points for the Red Wings last season.
Detroit’s Defensive Depth Chart
The Red Wings added defenseman Erik Gustafsson to a two-year $4 million deal to solidify the defensive unit for Detroit.
Currently, Holl is projected to be a scratch, according to DailyFaceoff.com’s lineup projection, which is as follows:
- Ben Chiarot – Mortiz Seider
- Simon Edvinsson – Jeff Petry
- Olli Maatta – Erik Gustafsson
With Holl expected to be a healthy scratch, the buyout in the summer of 2025 does become more likely.
Red Wings GM Expects Team to Compete for Playoff Spot
The Red Wings failed to make the playoffs in the 2023-24 NHL season and Detroit was active this offseason to improve their team.
Detroit’s biggest move was singing Vladimir Tarasenko and re-signing Patrick Kane. After the first wave of free agency, the Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman is happy with how his team looks.
“I think we’re in with that group of teams that has a chance to compete for the playoffs,” Yzerman said. “If we stay healthy, if our goaltending is good and players outplay your expectations, we might get in. Or you might just miss by a point on the last game of the season.
“That’s the fine line of it all. I look at the roster today and compare it to last year’s group; it’s a little bit different. It might be a little bit better fit as far as roles for players where they sit on the roster today,” Yzerman added.
The Red Wings haven’t made the playoffs since the 2015-16 season.
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Insider: Red Wings to Explore Buying Out $10.2 Million Defenseman in 2025