For the first time in Steve Yzerman’s tenure as general manager (GM) of the Detroit Red Wings, he is positioned to add at the NHL Trade Deadline rather than subtract. The Red Wings hold the first wild card position in the Eastern Conference and have a three point cushion on the second wild card spot. They are fourth in the Atlantic Division and just two points back of third place.
Needless to say, it’s a fun time to be a Red Wings fan.
As Red Wings fans know quite well by now, the marketplace at the trade deadline is filled with buyers and sellers. Buyers typically send away future assets in exchange for players that will help immediately. After years of selling, the Red Wings are uniquely positioned to make a big push at this deadline if they want to as they have all of their draft picks as well as a prospect pool that practically bursting at the seams. Just because they have all these assets, however, does not mean that every single one of them is for sale.
In fact, Yzerman is likely unwilling to part with most of their top prospects considering they are the key to building and establishing a team that can contend for years to come. That does not mean that there aren’t some prospects that he would be willing to move under the right circumstances, however.
These are the prospects the Red Wings could include in a deal if they want to buy at the deadline.
(LW/RW) Jonatan Berggren
Let’s start with the obvious one. Throughout the season, there have been reports of a fractured relationship between winger Jonatan Berggren and the Red Wings’ front office. After playing in over 60 NHL games last season, the 23-year-old was assigned to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League (AHL) to start this season. To this point, he has played in just nine NHL games this season and, reportedly, would like an NHL roster spot, one way or another. After setting the Griffins’ rookie scoring record during the 2021-22 season (64 points in 70 games), he has 41 points in 39 games this season.
Related: Red Wings Could Add by Subtraction at 2024 Trade Deadline
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The Fourth Period reported that Berggren recently rejected a contract extension with Detroit and continues to angle for a full-time NHL gig. They also report that at least five teams have expressed interest, including the Calgary Flames and Montreal Canadiens – both of which have pieces they could sell at the deadline. As more time goes on, it almost seems like a foregone…
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