Red Wings D-man likely to be traded as rift with team grows quickly

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Erik Gustafsson. Brett Holmes-Imagn Images

Red Wings defenseman likely to be traded as rift with team grows quickly

Originally posted on House of Hockey | By Tom Banks | Last updated May 24, 2025 10:47 PM ET

The Detroit Red Wings have some exciting young blue liners coming through the organization, and now it appears a veteran could make way for them.

The 2024-25 campaign was a disappointing one for the Red Wings, and with a critical off-season upcoming, they've got some major choices to make about the future of this organization and the future of their roster.

One key piece of that future is blue liner Axel Sandin-Pellikka, who was a star at the World Juniors level. Now, it appears as though he may be pushing for a roster spot as early as next season.

A player that could make way for ASP is veteran Erik Gustafsson, a player that expressed frustration with Team Sweden after its recent defeat to Team USA at the 2025 IIHF World Championship, after he was demoted to the role of seventh defenseman.

Given that the Red Wings would like to go with some youth moving forward, there's a chance that he gets just as frustrated with Detroit, and with Pittsburgh looking for some experience on its blue line, a trade could make sense between the two parties.

At 33, Gustafsson has tallied 49 points over the last two seasons, and with 60 games under his belt a season ago on a struggling Red Wings team, it's clear that he can still play at a high level.

While a trade isn't a guarantee, after his frustration with Team Sweden, if Gustafsson doesn't get a permanent role in the starting lineup, he may look to express those same frustrations with Steve Yzerman, so don't be surprised to see him moved this offseason.

This article first appeared on House of Hockey and was syndicated with permission.

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