3 Trade Options for the Detroit Red Wings, Yzerman This Season
The Detroit Red Wings have reloaded for the 2023/2024 NHL season, bringing in scoring and depth. The Red Wings hope for a different ending to this season, as Detroit found themselves on the outside of the playoff picture once again. General manager Steve Yzerman, head coach Derek Lalonde, and the organization hope to change that this season with a completely different roster.
However, if things start to go south before the trade deadline there are three pieces that could be had for a playoff contending team for the right price.
Detroit Red Wings potentially have three pieces for trade
David Perron
Forward David Perron came to the Detroit Red Wings as a free agent and immediately the move paid dividends. The left-winger had a solid first season in Detroit, posting 24 goals and 32 assists for 56 points in 82 games. His scoring was not a surprise as he has been consistent in offensive production throughout his career. Perron, along with the rest of the Reed Wings team, fell off in the second half of the season and missed the playoffs for the sixth season in a row.
Perron filled the expectations the team had of him, which were to bring experience, a leadership mentallity, and produce offensively. With the addition of sniper Alex DeBrincat, everyone on the roster should benefit. If Detroit, or Perron, should fall off like last season there could be calls about Perron. Plenty of teams could use a player like him, who adds scoring depth, has playoff experience, and will be a free agent after the 2023/2024 season. If he does in fact produce offensively like last season and the Red Wings are in the thick of things, Detroit could still get a call but do they pick up the phone?
James Reimer
Goaltender James Reimer, a new acquisition through free agency this off-season, is another player Yzerman could get calls about if the season falls apart. He came to Detroit during free agency after signing a one-year, $1.5 million deal, to serve as the backup to starter Ville Husso. Reimer should provide good insurance if Husso falters between the pipes or needs the occasional night off. The contract Reimer signed is easily movable if the situation calls for a move to be made.
He, like Perron, could add insurance to a team that is playoff bound or a team on the bubble. Detroit may not get the same return as they could for Perron, but there are teams that could use him as a backup with playoff experience for a deep run. He is a quality NHL goaltender with something to prove after last season. Last season with the San Jose Sharks, he had a record of 12-21-8 with a 3.48 GAA, a .890 save percentage, and three shutouts for a team that was not good defensively.
Jared McIsaac
A once promising defenseman with all of the tools, Jared McIsaac has not lived up to the expectations of Detroit because of injury. Mcisaac, due to become a free agent after the upcoming season, has played the last two seasons with the Red Wings AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins. There, he totaled eight goals and 38 assists for 46 points, and 64 penalty minutes, in 131 games as he has played the most hockey since the 2018-2019 season with the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). These could be signs he is turning the corner and living up to those Detroit expectations. Only 23 years old, he still has promise and is a usable defenseman in all situations. with his contract ending at the end of the 2023/2024 NHL season, and looking like he is healthy again, could get a few calls this season as to where he stands with the organization. Are Yzerman and the organization willing to give him another shot to reach his full potential? Or will they let McIsaac play out his contract and not re-sign him?