from Scott Burnside of The Athletic,

Here is a look at the questions facing every general manager in the Atlantic Division and what options are available to them....

Possible Free-Agent Targets: Ryan Dzingel, Micheal Ferland

Best Fit: Micheal Ferland would be a nice complimentary player for some of Detroit’s rising young offensive stars, providing some sand up front while still capable of 20 to 25 goals.

Outlook: Here’s the hard part for a Red Wings team now three years into the hockey hell known as the rebuild: No one really knows how many stages of said hell there are. Did the Red Wings take a step forward by repatriating Steve Yzerman as the team’s new GM? Most certainly the answer is yes. Yzerman brings with him instant credibility and a familiar name in Pat Verbeek, who was an important part of Yzerman’s team during his almost decadelong run in Tampa. But credibility wasn’t the issue before Yzerman returned home to take over for his old boss Ken Holland. What has been in short supply in Detroit is successful drafting and developing of players, as the Red Wings inked underperforming veterans to onerous contracts while the team slid further out of sight....

One thing seems certain: Without much cap room and really not particularly close to anything, the Red Wings won’t be spending willy-nilly in free agency as they must still bide their time waiting out onerous contracts bestowed on Frans Nielsen, Darren Helm, Justin Abdelkader, Danny DeKeyser, Jonathan Ericsson and Mike Green. There is also the unknown of whether captain Niklas Kronwall will return for the coming season. “There’s a lot of dead wood there,” the source said of the Red Wings’ contractual obligations. One of the first things that Yzerman did in taking over the GM post was to confirm that coach Jeff Blashill will return. The clock is ticking with the change in management but there are signs this remains a very good fit. Perhaps the biggest challenge facing Yzerman in returning to his hockey home, a place where he is a virtual god, is managing the expectations for this once great franchise.

more (paid subscription) plus a look at the other Atlantic Division teams...