In more ways than one, the Detroit Red Wings are different. Most notably, the team holds the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference a week before the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline.
When I’ve conducted this exercise in the past (2021, 2022, 2023), the Red Wings have been sellers. This year is different, though – the Red Wings are trade deadline buyers. Below are the moves I would make if I were in Steve Yzerman’s shoes.
Red Wings Acquire Gritty Depth Defenseman
Detroit trades a 2025 fifth-round pick to the Minnesota Wild for defenseman Zach Bogosian.
In this scenario, the Red Wings add defensive depth for cheap. The rationale behind the move is that the Grand Rapids Griffins are expected to make a deep playoff run with Detroit’s top defensive prospects—Simon Edvinsson, Albert Johansson, and William Wallinder—playing high-impact minutes.
Zach Bogosian is a mauler in the playoffs. If you want some bite on the back-end, he’s your guy.
The blueliner was a valued member of two Tampa Bay Lightning teams that reached the Stanley Cup Final – the group that won in the 2020 Playoff Bubble and also the team that lost to the Colorado Avalanche in 2022. Derek Lalonde was there, too, and saw Bogosian’s impact first-hand.
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A future fifth-round pick—as suggested by Minnesota correspondent Mariah Stark—is a palatable deal for the Red Wings, especially if Bogosian ends up playing a few games in the postseason.
Red Wings Add Another Versatile Forward
Detroit trades a 2024 third-round pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets for forward Jack Roslovic.
During a recent appearance on 97.1 The Ticket, Derek Lalonde shared his wish when asked about potential trade deadline acquisitions:
“Probably another versatile forward. Someone who can play center and the wing.”
You got it.
Jack Roslovic epitomizes versatility. He has played up and down the lineup this season in Columbus and on both special teams. In addition, the right-handed forward can play both center and on the wing, with the latter suiting him best.
“His speed will be an asset,” noted Mark Scheig, who covers the Blue Jackets for THW. “Roslovic would fit anywhere in the bottom nine.”
The price is reasonable – a third-round pick for the pending free agent. Roslovic, who is averaging 0.50 points per game this season, is only 27 and could be re-signed if there’s mutual interest.
Red Wings Leverage Cap Space
Detroit retains 50 percent of Noah Hanifin’s salary in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round pick, serving as a broker between the Calgary Flames and the Colorado Avalanche.
Historically, the Flames haven’t retained salary when trading players away. Pending free agents Nikita Zadorov, Elias Lindholm, and Tyler Toffoli all have been dealt recently, and exactly zero dollars have been retained. Chris Tanev was the exception.
In this scenario, the Avalanche leverage Detroit’s cap space to bring in Hanafin to strengthen an already impressive blue line. A fourth-round pick is fair – the New York Rangers paid the Arizona Coyotes a third rounder to eat salary when they acquired Patrick Kane last year in a higher-profile trade.
Red Wings Quiet … For Now
No headliner moves this year. Just adding around the fringes to solidify Detroit’s depth.
More importantly, all of the Red Wings top prospects and early draft picks are still with the organization. That was done by design – I expect there to be at least one big move during the offseason when the trade market normalizes. The Red Wings will get much more in return for their top assets then, as opposed to the sellers’ market that is the trade deadline.
Until then, the motto remains the same: patience.