The Detroit Red Wings made major moves in NHL Free Agency this summer. And the Red Wings were regularly mentioned in trade rumors throughout the offseason. However, the offseason has come and gone without the team making a trade to add to the roster. They certainly subtracted — sending Jake Walman to the San Jose Sharks and Robby Fabbri to the Anaheim Ducks. But they did not add through trade.
There is certainly time left for Detroit to make a trade for an established player. Training camp begins later this month, with preseason games starting in the latter days of September. Detroit begins its regular season slate of games on October 10 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Before any major trade happens, though, the Red Wings have business to take care of. Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond remained unsigned at this point in the offseason. Detroit has nearly $18 million in cap space as of this writing. However, Seider and Raymond figure to account for a large amount of that remaining space.
Any Red Wings trade will likely be a dollar-in, dollar-out situation. Furthermore, Detroit likely won't want a player locked into a long-term contract. The team has a plethora of young prospects who are on the verge of breaking through to the NHL. With this in mind, here is one trade idea that lands the Red Wings a player who could figure into short and long-term plans.
Red Wings should trade for Ducks' Trevor Zegras
The Red Wings have been linked to Ducks goalie John Gibson at times this summer. However, Detroit signed goalie Cam Talbot in NHL Free Agency. This gives the team three goalies as Alex Lyon and Ville Husso return to the franchise for the 2024-25 campaign.
Instead of Gibson, Detroit should work out a deal for Trevor Zegras. The former ninth-overall pick has proven he can contribute at a high level in the NHL. He has recorded two 60+ point seasons in three years. However, 2023-24 was the worst season of his career by far. He struggled with injuries throughout the year. He scored six goals and 15 points while only playing 31 games.
Zegras is signed through 2026 at $5.75 million. This is certainly a cost Detroit could have trouble taking on in its entirety. However, they could offset this by including either Andrew Copp or J.T. Compher in the deal. Additionally, Detroit has the prospect pool and draft pick capital to make it worth Anaheim's while to take on Copp or Compher.
Ideally, the Red Wings would trade Copp in this trade. He makes around $5.625 million for the next three seasons. But more importantly, things have not worked out for the Michigan native in Hockeytown. Copp could benefit from a change of scenery, and the Ducks could allow him to find his stride again.
Adding Zegras to the Red Wings gives them an element of playmaking the team could use. He could help drive the play in the top six while learning from the likes of Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko. Additionally, he could be a positive presence on the power play.
All of this assumes that Zegras remains healthy, of course. There is certainly a risk in making this move for both sides. But in the end, it could work out for all involved. Zegras and Copp would receive fresh starts elsewhere. The Ducks would add more picks and prospects to stomach Copp's contract and aid their rebuild. And the Red Wings may add a potential long-term piece who could help them return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs sooner rather than later.
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