For starters, Steve Yzerman was adamant about one fact of life - free agency isn’t going to be the tool that assembles the Detroit Red Wings back into a respectable, playoff-contending team.

“You can’t build a team through free agency,” Detroit Red Wings GM Yzerman said.

That doesn’t mean Yzerman won’t be active on Monday as the NHL’s free agency signing period commences.

“I’m going to make some calls and see,” Yzerman said. “There’s players we’re interested in. You get a feel if they have any interest in coming to Detroit and what the parameters of what they’re looking for. You get a feel for that.”

What is clear is that the Wings won’t be big players on July 1. They are looking to add support pieces that can serve as stop-gap measures to allow the team’s prospects time to mature. Yzerman will be looking to sign players to one- or two-year deals, so none of the top free agents figure to be landing in Detroit.

“We have spots on the roster available,” Yzerman said. “I would look, before a trade, at free agency to fill those roster spots. I also want to have some opportunity for our younger players to fill those spots, but we will look at free agency.

“But I’m not going to sign a free agent just to sign a free agent. The player has to fit what we’re trying to do - the contract, the term of the contract and the value of the contract have to fit.

“I can’t tell you how active we’re going to be, but we’re certainly going to reach out to players and agents of guys we think could fit into what we’re doing.”

Yzerman has already informed veteran winger Thomas Vanek that the team is not interested in signing him to a new deal. The Wings are holding a spot for veteran free-agent defenseman Niklas Kronwall if he decides to play another season.

There are some players who figure to interest the Wings that aren’t going to be settling for short-term pacts. That includes former Detroit forward Gustav Nyquist. Others like forwards Wayne Simmonds and Brett Connolly and defenseman Anton Stralman are likely to garner longer term from other teams.

A possibility could be journeyman defenseman Ron Hainsey. He’s 38, and played in Ann Arbor with USA Hockey’s NTDP, so he’s familiar with the area. He’s a reliable, stay-at-home type who’s won a Stanley Cup.

Hanisey averaged 20 minutes a game with Toronto last season and played 81 games. Hainsey could also be a guy the Wings would be able to flip to a contender at the NHL trade deadline.

Longtime Wings antagonist Corey Perry is also a free agent after being bought out by Anaheim. He could add abrasiveness in a bottom-six forward role and would be another that might interest a contender at the deadline.

An intriguing possibility is forward Joonas Donskoi. He’s another bottom-six forward type who can put the puck in the net, with back-to-back 14 goal seasons on his resume. But at 27, he’s not likely to get a longer-term pact from some team.

The Wings also figure to be in the market for a depth goaltender, since it appears that restricted free agent Patrik Rybar, who played last season with AHL Grand Rapids, is leaning toward returning to Europe.

On Offer Sheets
There’s been plenty of rumbling about teams throwing offer sheets at restricted free agents. If that proves to be the case, don’t wait for the Wings to be one of those teams.

“Honestly, I really don’t know,” Yzerman said. “I don’t know what other teams are thinking. There’s a lot of talk within the media. I really have no idea.

“The position that we’re in today, I wouldn’t say we definitely wouldn’t consider it, but it’s unlikely.”

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