According to George Sipple of the Free Press, Red Wings forward Jiri Hudler will become an unrestricted free agent when NHL free agency opens at noon Sunday.
Hudler's agent, Peter Svoboda, said Friday that the Red Wings had made Hudler an offer earlier in the week and that talks would be ongoing until Sunday's deadline.
It appears, however, that Hudler will instead hit the open market in an effort to find a more lucrative deal. Sipple says Hudler, after a career-high 25 goals this past season, could be a hot commodity considering the market's dearth of scoring options.
Detroit GM Ken Holland said for the time being, both sides will explore other options thanks to a difference in opinion on salary figures.
Assuming Detroit makes offers to restricted free agents Kyle Quincey and Justin Abdelkader, the Red Wings will have just under $20 million to throw at top targets Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, Helene St. James says.
For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.