Red Wings Trade Targets: Defense
Potential candidates to fill Detroit's need for a top 4 defender
Credit: Sportsnet
When he was interviewed during this summer’s NHL draft, Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman indicated he didn’t expect to have much luck during the free agency period that kicked off on July 1st. With lots of teams re-signing their own impending free agents - spurred on by a salary cap that is expected to grow dramatically over the coming seasons - there were few high quality options available. Given the Red Wings are still in the process of pulling out from a prolonged rebuild, Detroit also wasn’t an attractive destination for players like Mitch Marner or Nikolaj Ehlers.
Yzerman indicated during that interview that he felt trades would be his best avenue for addressing team needs. In my very long article on the state of the rebuild, I made the case that the Red Wings need to fill three holes in order for the rebuild to be considered complete:
Top 4 left-handed defenseman
Top line left wing
Starting goaltender
Yzerman looks to have filled that need in net with the trade for John Gibson. Defense, however, has proven particularly difficult to address, despite the fact the Red Wings have signed loads of defenders over the past three years during free agency; most of those rearguards, unfortunately, are best suited as bottom pair defenders. Ben Chiarot is likely the best of the bunch, but he’s simply not suited to play top pairing minutes alongside Moritz Seider.
As soon as this upcoming season, I suspect Todd McLellan will lean heavily on a pairing of Simon Edvinsson and Seider, which looks to be one of the best pairings in the entire league. In their 5v5 play together last season, the team outscored the opposition by +8 goals. That’s the type of domination I expect the new coach to build from.
As mentioned previously, Detroit has no shortage of options on the third pair. That leaves the second pairing as the one that needs to be addressed.
Albert Johansson had a low key impressive rookie season last year, playing the bulk of his minutes alongside Simon Edvinsson on the second pairing. The question remains whether he can hold down that spot if Ed moves up to become Mo’s full time partner? Acquiring a rock solid top 4 defender would increase the chances Johansson could stick on that second pairing next season.
It’s worth mentioning that while Johansson is a left shooting stickhandler, he performed well on the right side, so this article is going to focus primarily on acquiring a defender who is a left sided shot. This also works in case Axel Sandin-Pellikka makes the team out of training camp; Ax is Detroit’s number one prospect, and it’s simply a matter of time until he joins the Detroit line up. Sandin-Pellikka is a right side shot, so ideally he’d have a left sided partner once he works his way into Detroit’s top 4 on defense.
Identifying Trade Targets on Defense
Making trades during the dog days of summer is tough, as it follows the recently concluded NHL draft and free agency period. Right now most rosters are pretty much settled as teams prepare for the start of fall camp. With that being the case, I don’t expect there to be many trade options available before the puck drops to start the season. Trades will be more likely to take place once the calendar turns to November 1.
Elliotte Friedman has pointed out playoff contention is pretty much settled by November 1, meaning if your franchise is on the outside looking in by that point, the odds of making the playoffs are against you. In a normal year, teams outside the playoff picture may be inclined to double down and become a buyer in an effort to make the playoffs, but this may be one season where teams will have a strong incentive to become an early seller.
Credit: Daily Faceoff
An important factor to consider is June 2026 is the Gavin McKenna draft. McKenna is considered the greatest prospect since Connor McDavid, so teams will have a strong incentive to improve their lottery odds should their season prove disappointing.
Teams have conducted what are called ‘mini tanks’ where they sell off assets to move down the NHL standings in the hope of acquiring a highly talented player before rebounding the following season. The Washington Capitals are a good example, missing the playoffs in 2022-23 which enabled them to draft Ryan Leonard 8th overall that summer. The Bruins are hoping to follow the same playbook after drafting James Hagens 7th overall this past June.
This article is going to focus primarily on older defenders who have little term left on their current deals and will be unrestricted free agents when those contracts expire, as those are the players most likely to be moved during a mini tank. I cannot predict which teams will have poor seasons, so please bear this in mind - the focus is entirely on players who would likely prove attractive to Steve Yzerman should they become available during this upcoming season.
So putting it in simple terms: we’re looking at first or second pair defenders who have 1-2 years remaining on their contracts and will be unrestricted free agents when their contract expires. The preference is for left shooting defenders.
Some of these defenders may have no movement clauses which would allow them to block a trade to Detroit, but I don’t want to get too far into the weeds at this point other than acknowledging when such a clause is part of their current contract. Detroit has plenty of draft capital and a strong prospect pool, so Yzerman has the assets necessary to be a buyer should the right deal materialize.
