Detroit Red Wings fans, it’s time to get weird. The trade deadline is inching closer and closer by the minute. Even though the biggest deals are likely done with at this point, there is no way you can count out the Red Wings from doing something else.
Detroit Red Wings General Manager (GM) Steve Yzerman is always good for a surprise deal or two. He seems to always find a way to get something done and pull some tomfoolery off at the trade deadline.
He’s got until 3 P.M. ET today to continue shopping his players and get a deal done. Even though he’s already been busy working the phones, he still has some assets left in the tank he could move.
The Red Wings’ trade deadline plans shifted significantly over the course of the week, but Yzerman was ready for either route, simply veering into the selling side of things and making a few deals. Not to mention he was able to bring in two first-round draft choices in the process.
Detroit Red Wings may not be done at the trade deadline quite yet.
The Red Wings shocked many fans by shipping Filip Hronek to the Vancouver Canucks in a deal that netted them a first-round draft choice in 2023 that could slide to 2024 with the conditions placed upon it.
Even after a joyful day in Detroit, where Yzerman was able to lock up the team’s captain on an eight-year extension, he kind of killed the vibes when he traded forward Tyler Bertuzzi. The Red Wings traded Bertuzzi to the Bruins for a 2024 first-round draft choice.
It’s been a good deadline for Detroit, re-couping some assets and finding ways to shop some of the expendable assets they do have. For Detroit, the deadline is not over yet. Yzerman will run things up to the last minute, trying to squeeze out one final deal.
He’s got players to deal still. Players like David Perron, Oskar Sundqvist, Jakub Vrana, and Filip Zadina are the names that come to mind. It might turn into a meaningless depth trade, but he could very well flip Pius Suter to someone for a late-round pick.
It sounds like some meaningless trades, but stacking that draft capital is what Yzerman loves to do, and I could see him continuing to do so. It will free up the ability to make some trades this summer and beyond, flipping draft capital to move up in the draft or upgrade a team need.
The Red Wings have time before the deadline, even with it quickly approaching; watch for Yzerman to make a last-minute move or two.