Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis attempts to handicap each and every one of the NHL’s 32 teams’ trade deadline outlooks, and here’s what he has to say about the Red Wings, after noting the team’s draft picks over the course of the next three seasons:
Detroit Red Wings
2025: 1/2/3/3/5/6/7/7
2026: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7
2027: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7The playoffs are definitely within reach – but how aggressive will the Red Wings get if they don’t see a path to success? The Wings already have a quality prospect pool with solid options at every position, so they can afford to move picks to get more immediate help. If anything, the Wings need someone who can thrive on the penalty kill and help out a bit offensively, too. Detroit has struggled while down a man and could use some help on the blueline – something they didn’t address adequately enough after shipping out Jake Walman last summer.
Continued; with Erik Gustafsson coming out of hibernation, the Wings’ need for a Shayne Gostisbehere replacement has lessened, but snagging a shut-down defenseman to spare Moritz Seider wouldn’t hurt, and if they can snag a net-crashing power forward, that would help as well.
