Newsday’s Andrew Gross reports that the New York Islanders were the other team in the race for Alex DeBrincat’s services, and they lost out to the Red Wings:
The two-time 40-goal scorer from Farmington Hills, Michigan, was exactly what the Islanders needed. But the Islanders’ proposed trade package, which included center Jean-Gabriel Pageau and the remaining three seasons of his six-year, $30 million deal as well as right wing Oliver Wahlstrom, per an NHL source, did not entice the Senators. It seems certain [Islanders GM Lou] Lamoriello would have had to include a first-round pick and maybe a prospect as well, and the Islanders have not picked in the first round since 2019 and may be reluctant to surrender future premium picks.
It also seems likely the Senators did not want to take on any large salaries such as Pageau, who is from Ottawa and played his first seven-plus NHL seasons with the Senators.
The Red Wings landed DeBrincat on Sunday in exchange for forward Dominik Kubalik, entering the last season of a two-year, $5 million deal, defense prospect Donovan Sebrango, a conditional first-round pick in 2024 and a fourth-round pick in 2024.
“There’s just a limited number of actual what we call — I don’t know what the true definition of a goal scorer is, but there just aren’t a lot of them around the league,” Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman said on Monday’s teleconference. “The guys that can get [the puck] on the stick and any time they shoot it, it looks like it has a chance of going in. We categorize Alex in that mode, as a sniper. Just one shot can change a game.”
DeBrincat, 25, has scored 41 goals twice in his six NHL seasons. He promptly agreed to a four-year, $31.5 million extension with the Red Wings.
The source said it was the Islanders’ understanding DeBrincat was willing to sign a new deal with them.
The Red Wings and the Islanders were believed to be the two teams seriously vying for DeBrincat.
