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The Detroit Red Wings fired Derek Lalonde on Boxing Day to try and spark the team. The hope was that veteran head coach Todd McLellan could come in and lead Detroit toward a respectable finish. His first Red Wings game did not go well as they lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs. And then they rattled off seven straight wins.
It hasn't been all sunshine and rainbows for Detroit under McLellan. The Red Wings have suffered some big losses since the coaching change. However, they have played incredible hockey since the change was made. And this has given Detroit new life as it pertains to making the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Detroit still has a lot of work to do if they want to make the postseason. They currently trail the second Wild Card owners Columbus Blue Jackets by two points. They also need to contend with teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins, and Montreal Canadiens.
The Red Wings are not a perfect team by any means. And the teams around them are going to make moves to try and create some breathing room. Detroit can and should do the same by the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline. However, what can they do to improve their roster while not sacrificing their long-term success?
There are a few positions they could address at the trade deadline this season. But there is one position in particular that makes a bit more sense given how things have turned out. With this in mind, here is the fatal flaw the Red Wings need to address at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline.
Red Wings need a long-term top-six forward
The Detroit Red Wings have some intriguing young talent on their roster. Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider are two of the best young players in the entire league. Marco Kasper has come into his own after a promotion to the first line. Simon Edvinsson has impressed this season, and Albert Johansson has started to emerge as a potential long-term piece.
However, the Red Wings are in need of more established players who can play for many years. They have a lot of veteran pieces such as Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko who are not long for Detroit. Moreover, players such as Andrew Copp and J.T. Compher have not lived up to the lofty contracts they signed in NHL Free Agency.
Detroit is going to be shuffling its forward deck in the near future. As a result, they should strike now to add a long-term, top-six forward. One name to watch is Buffalo Sabres forward Dylan Cozens. The Red Wings nearly traded for Cozens before the holiday freeze around Christmas time.
Cozens could come to Detroit as their immediate second-line center. Once Kasper moves back to the middle of the ice, Cozens could shift over to the wing. The Sabres forward has shown the ability to score at a very high level in the NHL. He has career highs of 31 goals and 68 points, both of which came in 2022-23.
Cozens could certainly reignite his game in Hockeytown. Moreover, he is signed long-term and falls within Detroit's salary structure. His contract carries a cap hit of $7.1 million for the next five seasons.
Cozens is one option for the Red Wings. Who they pursue to address the need is certainly up for debate. In any event, if they make a move at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline, a long-term top-six forward needs to be high on the shopping list for general manager Steve Yzerman.
