Red Wings Need Multiple Trades to Fix Struggling Offense

To acquire a top-six forward, the Red Wings need to get uncomfortable. A good prospect will be a required part of any deal. At the very least, one of Amadeus Lombardi, Elmer Soderblom (technically not a prospect, but young enough to be lumped in here), William Wallinder, Shai Buium, or Jesse Kiiskinen will need to be included. You can make the case for moving Max Plante, Dmitry Buchelnikov, or even one of Sebastian Cossa or Trey Augustine, too, depending on what the return is.

Why? The Red Wings are loaded with long-term depth. Take a look at the projected forward lineup for the 2027-28 season:

If the Red Wings can acquire a top-six forward to help now and down the road, then these prospects need to be considered as trade chips. Detroit’s upcoming draft picks should be in play, too, including their first-round selections.

It’s uncomfortable. But again, you need to give something to get something, and not all of these players have a future in Detroit.

Teams that come to mind as potential trade partners: St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames, Nashville Predators.

Secondary Trade to Offset Top-Six Addition

The Red Wings shouldn’t stop dealing if they’re able to land a top-six forward. A follow-up trade to move out a non-essential player—Andrew Copp, J.T. Compher, Michael Rasmussen, Jonatan Berggren, or Erik Gustafsson—would partially offset the fallout of the initial transaction.

At a high level, a secondary trade would open a roster spot for the incoming top-six forward. It would also open up cap space, though this isn’t a huge deal for the Red Wings – they currently have ~$14 million in cap space.

In addition, Detroit could recoup a prospect or draft pick to help restock their cupboard. This wouldn’t be a top-tier asset or anything close, but a lottery ticket that could turn into something. Perhaps it’s a former mid- to late-round pick that the Red Wings wanted, but couldn’t land at the draft. Surely, Kris Draper could name several prospects he previously coveted who ended up with other teams.

Again, Detroit’s non-essential players likely won’t be able to attract much of a return due to their production and/or cap hits. That shouldn’t preclude the Red Wings from moving one out, though.

Teams that come to mind as potential trade partners: Los Angeles Kings, Vancouver Canucks, Anaheim Ducks, Chicago Blackhawks.

Final Word

A bold move is needed to improve this team. The cost will be uncomfortable, but keep in mind that the Red Wings have a tremendously deep prospect pool to deal from.

Ideally, any player acquired by the Red Wings should be in their prime during Detroit’s upcoming contention window. A top-six forward who can help now and in the future would be a huge add for Detroit. And, chances are, the trade partner won’t want one of the Red Wings’ non-essential players in return. They’re depth pieces, not centerpieces – thus the need for a second move.

Data courtesy of PuckPedia.