With the first week of NHL free agents, all of the famous free agents behind us have re-signed or joined a new organization. With many teams still patching their depth maps and other teams that are managing their salary caps, the NHL offseason isn’t over yet. Now, attention turns to the trade market, and teams that stand out in free agent institutions like the Detroit Red Wings will surely be active in this field.
The Red Wings have over $12 million in payments and take care of all their own free agents’ internal operations. In theory, they could choose to sit on the block space, hoping to grow from this season, and then use their extra hat space to target big names by next March’s trade deadline. But if they want to be the buyer for the next transaction deadline, they may need to add one or two parts to the puzzle to give themselves a chance.
Red Wing General Manager (GM) Steve Yzerman recently expressed his desire to add a right-handed forward, with insider Elliotte Friedman reporting Detroit is interested in Scrappy Forwards Viktor Arvidsson and Mason Marchment. These are tips that Red Wings may do in the coming weeks and months, and these teams may help them out.
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are still building the young core they will build over the next decade and beyond. They made the playoffs for five consecutive seasons and were at the bottom of Yeli in the last three games. They have Connor Bedard as their core work, hoping to push everything this season, but their only notable move so far is a deal with Seattle Kraken, which has brought them to a landing winger Andre Burakovsky.
Related: Red Wings 2025-26 Lineup Projection 1.0
Rumors have been hovering over defenseman Connor Murphy for several years. The 32-year-old is the second-largest player on the Blackhawks’ roster, and the veteran of Chicago for eight seasons may be happy to have the opportunity to play with a team closer to the playoffs. Over the past four seasons, he has averaged about 20 minutes or so on, and over the same time frame, he averaged more than twice a game and paid $4.4 million in the final year of his contract.
Murphy will be a good addition to the defensive aspects of the hockey. Offensively, the Blackhawks may be looking for a revolver against winger Lukas Reichel. The 23-year-old German winger has played its potential in his 169 games in Chicago, but he hasn’t put it together yet. He appears to be a major candidate for a new start, especially given the opportunity to get rid of the pressure of a first-round pick (No. 17 overall in 2020). Reichel may be the top 9 in the team.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Lightning in Tampa Bay finds itself in the remodeling phase. They remain one of the top teams in the Atlantic division, but over the past few seasons, they have lagged behind the Florida Panthers, arguably the Toronto Maple Leafs. Their highest prospect Isaac Howard won the Top Player Award in College Hockey last season. But Lightning and Howard are at a deadlock in contract negotiations, with all signs showing Tampa Bay trading wingers before losing their rights next year.
Howard, the 31st pick in the 2022 draft, is expected to join the Spartans in the third and final season at Michigan State University (MSU). In the Hobey Baker Awards he scored 26 goals and 52 points in 37 games and was outstanding on a talented MSU team. The Hudson Native in Wisconsin has a nose that is happy to be able to create an offense for his team. If he transfers it to a professional level at the college level offensive game, he has the potential to strengthen the team’s offense.
Howard will be a long-term match with Red Wings, but it is still worth mentioning. With both the Redmond Savage and the starting goalkeeper (Trey Augustine) both Red Wings prospects, the group is sure to focus on Howard throughout the Spartans’ process. If Detroit can reach a deal with the Lightning, the Red Wings may be ready for some exciting reinforcements when Michigan State’s season is over.
Pittsburgh Penguin
The Pittsburgh Penguins may be popular in the NHL GMS right now. The Penguins are reportedly the only team in the league that is not actively trying to get better because they prepare for life without the veteran core led by Sidney Crosby. GM Kyle Dubas opens its business, and rumors revolve around some of the major players, two of which may be perfect for Detroit.
Yzerman said the need for right-handed defensemen was necessary to pursue three-time Norris Trophy champion Erik Karlsson, who just finished his second season in Pittsburgh. The 35-year-old Swedish defender remains the player he returned to the Ottawa Senate era: a high-end offensive defense lawyer trying to make up for his defensive flaws with pure offensive performance. By then, he had scored 109 points in two seasons with the Penguins, and played more than 23 minutes a night.
Not only is Karlsson a huge mentor to the prospect Axel Sandin Pellikka, but the former also represents the latter’s bridge to the NHL. Additionally, winger Bryan Rust is Pontiac, Michigan, who just scored 65 points in 71 games, despite playing for the declined Penguins Ulster season. The 33-year-old has been steady next to Crosby over the past few years and he will be equally fit on the top line of the Red Wings next to Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond. Karlsson has two years left in his contract, covering $10 million, while Rust has three years left, and the hat’s salary is $5.125 million.
It’s time to work the phone
If Red Wings did nothing during the offseason, they might argue that they would be better than last season. Their goalkeepers will be better and there are many reasons to expect their young talent to continue to grow. However, relying on a goalkeeper and the unpredictable nature of prospect development is not a successful strategy.
If Yzerman intends to improve his roster in a meaningful way, he will need to use his phone. Although there are not a large number of potential partners to trade, there are enough possibilities worth investigating. If they can trade with one of the three teams mentioned above (even one mentioned here), Red Wings will announce that this season’s Eastern Conference playoffs are considered to be something to be ignored.
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