Heading into the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline, the Detroit Red Wings are seven points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. As a result, they are likely to be sellers at the deadline, and pending unrestricted free agents (UFA) like Tyler Bertuzzi, Oskar Sundqvist, Pius Suter, and Olli Maatta have emerged as potential trade candidates. However, with the Red Wings heading in the right direction, we could also see general manager (GM) Steve Yzerman being open to bringing in high-impact players if it helps them in the long term. Let’s go over a few surprising targets that the Red Wings could go make a push for now.
Brock Boeser
It is quite apparent that Vancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser is in serious need of a change of scenery. Boeser’s agent Ben Hankinson was reportedly granted permission by Vancouver to help facilitate the winger get moved, so it appears that a trade could finally be on the way. When noting that Boeser is a legitimate top-six forward while playing at his best and has multiple years left on his deal, he could be the kind of player that the Red Wings decide to pursue.
Although Boeser had a very slow start to the season, he has picked it up as of late. After recording seven points over his last four games, the 2015 first-round pick now has 10 goals and 35 points in 44 games. It appears that the 25-year-old is starting to find his old form, so it might be wise for the Red Wings to take a chance on him. When looking at a potential fit for him, he could work nicely playing second-line minutes with Jonatan Berggren and Andrew Copp. With that, he would provide Detroit’s power play with a major boost.
Although Boeser has shown in the past that he can perform like a star, his value isn’t as high as it once was due to his struggles. Thus, to acquire Boeser, the Red Wings would likely need to part ways with their 2023 second-round pick and a prospect like Donovan Sebrango. That isn’t too bad of a price to pay, and this is especially true if moving to Detroit helps him find his previous scoring touch.
Jakob Chychrun
Since last season, Jakob Chychrun has been one of the biggest names on the trading block. The 24-year-old has also made it abundantly clear that he would like a trade and the opportunity to play competitive hockey. Although the Red Wings are not a playoff team just yet, they have the potential to change that as soon as next season. Those chances would also increase noticeably if they were to be the lucky team to win the Chychrun sweepstakes.
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When looking at the Red Wings’ current roster, it is apparent that they could use a serious boost on their left side. They tried to address this during the offseason when they signed Ben Chiarot and Maatta, but neither player proved to be the answer for the top pairing. Jake Walman has had some success in the role, but adding a legitimate star like Chychrun would provide them with a significant upgrade. With that, Chychrun’s impressive all-around play would land him to play on both their power play and penalty kill.
The Red Wings would need to part ways with a good amount to acquire Chychrun, however. Since he has an affordable $4.6 million cap hit until the end of the 2024-25 season, his trade value is quite high. As a result, the Red Wings would likely need to trade their 2024 first-round pick (top-10 protected), 2023 second-round pick, William Wallinder, and Carter Mazur to land the star defenseman.
Timo Meier
The Red Wings could also shock the hockey world by winning the Timo Meier sweepstakes. The San Jose Sharks have made it known that they are willing to trade the star winger for the right price as they embrace a full-on rebuild. On paper, the Red Wings could make sense as a landing spot for him, as he is a pending restricted free agent (RFA), so they would still have control over his signing rights if acquired. Thus, the Red Wings would have the potential to ink him to a long-term extension in the offseason.
Meier is exactly the kind of star winger that the Red Wings need to become a legitimate playoff team in the Eastern Conference. On a bad Sharks team, he is having the best season of his career, as he has an impressive 30 goals and 51 points in 53 games. With numbers like these, it is clear that he would fit beautifully on the top line with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond. With that, he also would provide a huge jolt to their power play due to his solid net-front presence ability.
To acquire Meier, the Red Wings would need to trade their 2024 first-round pick (top-10 protected), Wallinder, and a young NHL-caliber forward like Michael Rasmussen. Although this would be a big prize to pay, it would be worth it, as the Red Wings would be adding another legitimate star to their core.
Nevertheless, it will be intriguing to see if the Red Wings end up bringing in one of these surprising trade targets at the deadline. When noting that they are all not pending UFAs and have the potential to make a long-term impact, it certainly could be an avenue that Yzerman explores.