MLive’s Ansar Khan filed an early-morning column which discusses the optimism surrounding the Red Wings’ trade for Alex DeBrincat:
For the first time since their 25-year playoff streak was snapped in 2017, the Detroit Red Wings will head into a season with legitimate aspirations of getting back to the postseason.
That wasn’t the case 10 days ago when general manager Steve Yzerman made a flurry of free-agent signings that amounted to depth moves which seemed to improve the roster marginally at best.
The outlook changed Sunday, when Yzerman acquired Alex DeBrincat, the bona fide goal-scoring threat the Red Wings so desperately needed.
On top of a team-friendly contract for a two-time 41-goal scorer (four years at an average annual value of $7.875 million), the Red Wings didn’t weaken their current roster, relinquishing what will be the lowest of their two 2024 first-round picks, expendable winger Dominik Kubalik, fringe defense prospect Donovan Sebrango and a fourth-round selection.
This was the kind of move many were waiting for Yzerman to make when he took over in 2019, the type of trade that only makes sense if a team is on the verge of competing for a playoff spot, which the rebuilding Red Wings were nowhere near during the former captain’s first four years.
