Welcome to The Hockey Writers’ 2023 Offseason Trade Targets series for the Minnesota Wild. During it, we will be looking at a handful of players from each NHL team who the Wild should consider pursuing this summer.
The next team that we will look at in this series is the Original Six team, the Detroit Red Wings. They missed the playoffs in their first season under new head coach Derek Lalonde, finishing the year with 80 points (12 points back of the last wild card position in the Eastern Conference).
- Detroit Red Wings Projected Cap Space: $30,665,278
- Unrestricted Free Agents (UFA): 12
- Restricted Free Agents (RFA): 9
The Red Wings have a lot of decisions to make on who to bring back into the organization and who to move on from. They are on the cusp of being a playoff team and this offseason could push them over the edge. The Wild and Red Wings could help each other out on a few potential deals.
Carter Mazur
Carter Mazur is a forward prospect for the Red Wings. He spent the last two seasons playing in the NCAA for the University of Denver. He gathered 75 points in 81 games, 36 of those points being goals. He also played six games for the Red Wings’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate the Grand Rapids Griffins. He had three goals and three assists along with 16 shots during those AHL games. Currently, he is representing Team USA at the World Championship in Finland and Latvia.
Related: Wild’s 2023 Offseason Trade Targets: Columbus Blue Jackets
Mazur would easily become a top-three forward prospect for the Wild. Because of his energy and skating ability, he is best suited for a middle-six role.
Interesting Fact/Stat: During the 2021-22 NCAA season Mazur finished second in freshman scoring behind Luke Hughes.
Acquiring Mazur could cost a roster player for the Wild. One of the biggest needs for the Red Wings is a right-handed defenceman to play second-pairing minutes. The only right-handed defender they have presently under contract for next year is Jared Spurgeon. Brock Faber is an intriguing player who could interest the Red Wings. He played two NHL games this past season averaging 20:04 of time on ice (TOI) in those two games. Faber seems more than ready for third-pairing minutes and could be a good inexpensive second-pairing defender. Mazur for Faber, one for one, seems like a good deal for both teams.
Andrew Copp
Andrew Copp signed with the Red Wings in the 2022 offseason. In his first year with the team, he collected 43 points in 82 games while playing 18:09 TOI. He was primarily utilized in a second or third-line center role.
Copp would easily slide into the middle six of the Wild, while also having the flexibility to move up and down the lineup. He has played all three forward positions for every team he has played for. He could easily play on the same line as Joel Eriksson Ek or Ryan Hartman and be able to give those lines another player who can win faceoffs.
Interesting Fact/Stat: Coop’s mother was a figure skating coach for the Michigan Wolverines.
Acquiring Copp could make Hartman expendable, which would allow him to be included in the return. Hartman and a 2023 second-round pick might do the trick. He could still be a second-line center for the Red Wings, so they wouldn’t lose much value there while also gaining a second-round pick in a deep draft.
Ben Chiarot
Ben Chiarot is a left-handed defenceman who played 76 games in the 2022-23 season. Primarily utilized in a shutdown role, he spent about half of the season playing alongside Moritz Seider. He brings grit and tenacity to the blue line, throwing 147 hits this year and blocking 164 shots.
Chiarot could easily be a second or third-pairing defenceman on the Wild. If he’s on their third pairing, it would give the coaching staff the ability to distribute the minutes among the pairings more evenly, giving the top pair more rest.
Interesting Fact/Stat: Chiarot comes from a football family: His grandfather played in the Canadian Football League (CFL); his uncle and father played for McMaster University.
Chiarot for Alex Goligoski could be a beneficial deal. Goligoski could bring the Red Wings’ blue line that same veteran presence and leadership that Chiarot brought, while Chiarot would bring toughness to the Wild’s defense and depth on the left side.
The Wild and Red Wings could fill some team needs by connecting on a few trades. They aren’t big deals at first glance, but the ripple effect for both teams could be very positive. We will see if anything transpires between the two organizations.