Former Red Wings Player Wonders Where He’ll be Playing

Former Detroit Red Wings forward Dominik Kubalik is waiting for his phone to ring, or that text to pop up in his inbox. The news that an NHL teams wants to get him to sign his name on the dotted line.

Thus far, it remains a vigil without a conclusion. An unrestricted free agent, Kubalik doesn’t have a contract with NHL teams prepping to go to training camp in less than a month’s time.

Lucas Raymond going at it with former teammate Dominik Kubalik. 👀 #LGRW pic.twitter.com/VTBIYQtoBS

— Winged Wheel Podcast (@WingedWheelPod) May 25, 2024

“My goal remains the NHL,” Kubalik told Czech website iSport Blesk. “All my preparation was towards this. I still want to try, to prove that I’m good at it.”

In general, the hockey season came to a wonderful conclusion for Kubalik. He became a father for the first time in early spring, on the eve of the IIHF World Championship. There, Kubalik would suit up at home and be helping Czechia to win the world title.

Disappointing NHL Season for Kubalik

The ending would help him to forget what proved to be Kubalik’s most disappointing NHL campaign. He finished with career lows across the board for the Ottawa Senators, with 11 goals, four assists and 15 points.

Moved to the Sens by the Red Wings in the Alex DeBrincat deal, you don’t need to be good at math to decipher who won the trade. DeBrincat, in an off year, would score 27 goals for the Detroit. Ottawa was allowing Kubalik, a 20-goal scorer for the Red Wings in 2022-23, to walk away as season’s end.

Now he’s left to wonder what his hockey future has in store for him.

#Leafs need a left winger.
Dominik Kubalik is still available.6'2 ,200lbs and can put up some goals. +/- isnt great but he's played on 3 bad teams his whole career.I can see him scoring 20-25 here if put in the right situation,he's popped in 30 before.#LeafsForever #NHL

— TonyyyP (@TonyP187) August 26, 2024

“We have spoken to some teams, some we are in contact with,” Kubalik said. “But there is nothing concrete. I would like to know in the foreseeable future. The sooner the better.

“I’m still waiting.”

In the meantime, he’s working out with Pilsen of the Czech Extraliga to prep for the NHL opportunity Kubalik hopes will be coming soon.

“The Czech Republic is not currently on the list,” Kubalik assessed of the chance he might opt to play in his homeland this season. “I don’t want to let go of the chance to go to the NHL if it presents itself. It will be a matter of the next few weeks.”