Bleacher Report’s Lyle Richardson looks toward the 2026-2027 trade deadline this morning, making predictions as to whether 5 players might find new homes.
I’m a little confused about this predictive trade involving the Red Wings’ Alex DeBrincat:
Alex DeBrincat to the Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres ended a 14-year playoff drought last season, finishing first in the Atlantic Division and reaching the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. That performance will put them under pressure this season to do even better and take the next step toward Stanley Cup contention.
Having traded Alex Tuch to the Washington Capitals, the Sabres could be in the market for a top-six winger by the trade deadline if they haven’t addressed that need by then. If the Detroit Red Wings are out of playoff contention again, winger Alex DeBrincat could be available.
The 28-year-old DeBrincat is in the final season of a four-year contract with an average annual value of $7.9 million. He isn’t a power forward like Tuch but has reached the 40-goal plateau three times in his nine NHL seasons, including in 2025-26 with the Red Wings.
DeBrincat has only one postseason under his belt, as do most of the Sabres’ core players. The chance to play for a contender in his contract year could push his game to new heights. He could become a good fit in Buffalo, provided they’re not on his 16-team no-trade list.
Continued; yes, the Red Wings would trade Alex DeBrincat if they are unable to sign him or he is unwilling to sign a contract extension–the talk that Detroit’s going to let DeBrincat simply walk away as an unrestricted free agent is incorrect here…
But I would not think that the Wings would send DeBrincat to a division rival…And I sure as hell wouldn’t call Buffalo a contender.
There’s no discussion of such a trade’s cost, either, and that’s a problem given that DeBrincat’s coming off a 41-goal season this past campaign. I’d have to imagine that we’re talking about a strong roster player, a top prospect and a 1st round pick at the very least for DeBrincat.
I don’t see the Wings doing anything other than re-signing him at this point (yes, really), but that’s just me.
