The Alex DeBrincat saga has reached a conclusion.
A trade for the Farmington Hills native and former Ottawa Senators winger will land him with his hometown Detroit Red Wings on a four-year extension worth $7.875 million annually, according to an announcement from the team Sunday night.
In return for DeBrincat, the Red Wings sent winger Dominik Kubalik, defense prospect Donovan Sebrango, a conditional 2024 first-round pick and a 2024 fourth-round pick. According to a release, Detroit will have the right to send either their own 2024 first-round pick or Boston’s 2024 first-rounder, which was acquired in the Tyler Bertuzzi trade.
It’s an efficient string of transactions from Red Wings general manger Steve Yzerman, whose tenacity at the negotiating table with both DeBrincat and Senators general manager Pierre Dorion was nationally reported to be grueling — and the leading factor for the deal taking so long. Some had speculated it would be completed near the NHL Draft in late June.
Yzerman was able to acquire DeBrincat without giving up a blue-chip prospect or young roster player while still keeping the better of Detroit’s two 2024 first-rounders. Still, some could argue it’s a respectable return for a GM whose hands were tied — a league-wide lack of cap space, plus DeBrincat’s lack of a contract for 2023-24 and his reported desire to play for his hometown team, all favored Yzerman’s negotiations with Dorion.
DeBrincat, who turns 26 in December, is a two-time 41-goal scorer, most recently in the 2021-22 season, his final with the Chicago Blackhawks. Chicago drafted DeBrincat in the second round, 39th overall, in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. In five seasons with Chicago, DeBrincat collected 160 goals and 147 assists (307 points) in 368 games played.
Chicago traded DeBrincat to Ottawa last summer for pick Nos. 7 and 39 in the 2022 Draft and a third-round pick in 2024.
Detroit’s last 40-goal scorer was Marian Hossa, who scored exactly 40 during his one and only season with the Red Wings in 2008-09. Detroit ranked 24th in goals scored last season and has seen several would-be contributors at winger leave over the last 12 months, including Jakub Vrana and Bertuzzi.
DeBrincat played youth hockey in the Detroit-based Victory Honda program. He spent three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League with the Erie Otters.
nbianchi@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @nolanbianchi
We’re offering a great rate on digital subscriptions. Click here.