Red Wings acquire forward Brendan Perlini from Blackhawks

In an unexpected move, the Red Wings have acquired winger Brendan Perlini from the Blackhawks in exchange for defenseman Alec Regula, the team announced late Monday:

The move comes as no surprise for the Blackhawks, Perlini had been voicing his frustration about ice time, and wanted the team to seek a trade, according to reports. Perlini, a former Coyotes 12th overall pick in 2014, has had trouble finding consistent success at the NHL level, but perhaps another change of scenery will help that. On the flip-side of the trade, Regula was a promising prospect who had only spent a couple of years with the organization. The towering right-shot defenseman has had decent numbers with the London Knights so far this season.

This is going to be a “wait and see” kind of trade.. You know, the ones that EVERYONE loves. The way I look at it, Steve Yzerman turned a 19-year-old prospect into an NHL winger that can slot into the lineup immediately. The 23-year-old is a restricted free agent at the end of the season, he’s currently carrying a team-friendly cap hit of about $874k. So, it remains to be seen if Perlini is a part of the large picture. Make no doubt about it, Steve Yzerman is trying to bolster secondary scoring on his roster, and this move helps that cause.