The Detroit Red Wings currently have 23 players under contract for 2013-14 -- the maximum allowable on their active roster.
Come September, that number could hit 25.
Wings GM Ken Holland has confirmed that his two RFA forwards, Gustav Nyquist and Joakim Andersson, will sign new deals by the fall.
“They’ll be done by camp,” Holland told The Oakland Press.
Neither Nyquist nor Andersson filed for arbitration, which means the Wings can take their time in hammering out a new deal -- and Holland definitely wants time on his side, as he has some decision to make in order for the club to be roster/CBA compliant.
Detroit already used one of its buyouts on defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo but, now that the window has closed, Holland’s focus shifts to moving some players via trade or waivers.
One player believed to be available via trade is Jordin Tootoo.
Tootoo, 30, has two years remaining on his deal (at $1.9 million per). He fell out of head coach Mike Babcock’s favor midway through last season — a frequent healthy scratch down the stretch -- and only appeared in one of Detroit’s 14 playoff games this spring.