The NHL trade deadline is at 3 p.m. and the Detroit Red Wings are sellers again.
Over the weekend, general manager Steve Yzerman swung multiple deals that yielded mid-round picks. Defenseman Jon Merrill was traded to the Montreal Canadiens for a fifth-round pick in 2021 and minor-leaguer Hayden Verbeek. (His uncle is Wings assistant general manager Pat Verbeek.)
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Defenseman Patrik Nemeth was traded to the Colorado Avalanche for a fourth-round pick in 2022.
Yzerman was also part of a three-team trade involving the Columbus Blue Jackets and Tampa Bay Lightning, gaining a fourth-round pick in 2021.
Those trades aren’t exactly earth-shattering, but it gives Yzerman leverage — he can use those future selections in other trades, for example.
Defenseman Marc Staal, goaltender Jonathan Bernier and forwards Luke Glendening and Darren Helm are among the team’s impending unrestricted free agents who could be on the move. The Wings play Monday at Carolina.
More: Counting down top five trade-deadline deals in Detroit Red Wings history
More: Why losing Bobby Ryan is such a blow for the Detroit Red Wings
Bobby Ryan, arguably the team’s most valuable trade asset, won’t be going anywhere; he’s done for the season because of an injury. Sam Gagner, also an upcoming UFA, has missed several games recently with an undisclosed injury.
Stay tuned for more news.
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Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her book, The Big 50: The Detroit Red Wings is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.