Let’s shake off last night’s loss to Colorado and get down to brass tacks.
The NHL trade deadline is set for tomorrow at 3:00 PM ET, and as you may know by now, some of the big names have already come off the board:
Noah Hanifin (acquired by Vegas)
Alex Wennberg (acquired by New York Rangers)
Case Mittelstadt (acquired by Colorado)
Sean Walker (acquired by Colorado)
Vladimir Tarasenko (acquired by Florida)
Anthony Mantha (acquired by Vegas)
Adam Henrique (acquired by Edmonton)
Quite the list off the board and it’s not even Friday yet! That doesn’t mean there aren’t other names worth acquiring for Detroit, though it’s still not clear how much of a “buy” mode Steve Yzerman is in. Some names to keep in mind:
Jake Guentzel (sounds like Carolina is making a big push here)
Pavel Buchnevich
Scott Laughton
Jack Roslovic
Jordan Eberle
Frank Vatrano
Anthony Duclair
Max Pacioretty
Nick Dowd
Jason Zucker
Tyler Toffoli
Reilly Smith
Jakob Chychrun
Matt Dumba
David Savard
Joel Edmundson (Traded to Toronto)
As you can see, plenty of intriguing targets.. But what do the Red Wings have to dangle as trade bait? We’ve talked about it here before, but Yzerman is rumored to be interested in moving one of his defensemen. Which one? Your guess is as good as mine. Here’s what we’re working with:
Justin Holl
Jeff Petry
Olli Maatta
Jonatan Berggren
Draft picks (Detroit has 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round picks through 2026)
According to Frank Seravalli, the Edmonton Oilers are looking to add a “relatively inexpensive” veteran defensemen. That seems like the best option for Steve Yzerman if he wants to ship one off for a late pick or prospect. Other than that, all is quiet on potential deals for Detroit.
As we know, the Wings are in a tough spot right now. They’ve dropped three games in a row (since Ilitch slapped the trash patch on the Winged Wheel), and are without their best player for a couple of weeks. I don’t know, it just seems like we’re headed for a quiet trade deadline. I say that based on the vibes alone. If there are going to be deal(s) made, I wouldn’t expect it to move the needle much.
On the flip side of that, I think if Yzerman were to go big, Pavel Buchnevich and/or Jakob Chychrun are your top candidates. Both fill needs — top-to-middle six scoring, and higher-end defense. Detroit has a history of trades with both St. Louis and Ottawa. The Wings have the assets to acquire both, but I don’t see Yzerman being that aggressive. It would be fun if I end up being wrong.
