The Detroit Red Wings probably could not have asked for a better spot to be in ahead of the nearly three week Olympic break. Through 58 games in 2025-26, Todd McLellan's club is 33-19-6 and third place in an ultra-competitive Atlantic Division.
The franchise and fan base alike are desperate to break the long postseason drought, which stretches back to the 2016-17 campaign. After a decade of middling results, the Wings look well-positioned to return to the dance come April — and that will be especially true if GM Steve Yzerman adds another piece or two ahead of the March 6 NHL Trade Deadline.
As RG Media's Marco D'Amico reported on Saturday morning, he could be looking to do just that when the Olympic roster freeze lifts on Feb. 22.
“The Detroit Red Wings continue to be a team looking to significantly improve down the middle,” the hockey insider reported. “Sources have indicated that the Red Wings not only want to grab another top-six pivot, but they want to acquire a veteran center with term and are willing to pay the big price.”
D'Amico added: “Looking at the extremely competitive Atlantic Division, R.org has been told that the Red Wings view their center depth as their biggest weakness in comparison to other top teams in their division right now.
“They have the experience and talent along the wings with Patrick Kane, Alex DeBrincat, Lucas Raymond, James Van Riemsdyk, and more. They’ve even recently moved Marco Kasper, the heir apparent to the second-line center role, as recently as this training camp, to the wing; leaving Andrew Copp as the team’s current 2C.”
Who could Red Wings target down the middle?
Dylan Larkin is a bonafide NHL superstar, but after him, the depth at center is lacking in Detroit. If the club could bring in a legitimate 2C ahead of the deadline, it would be a huge boon not only in getting the team into the playoffs, but potentially winning a couple of rounds as well.
Sources told D'Amico that the Red Wings are a serious contender for New York Rangers forward Vincent Trocheck, who is an excellent defensive player and has also amassed 36 points in 43 games while playing on the Blueshirts' top powerplay unit.
D'Amico also doesn't rule out a potential bigger move, trying to snag a player like Calgary Flames' Nazem Kadri or Vancouver Canucks' Elias Pettersson. All three forwards would be excellent second-line center options that could play below Larkin on the depth chart.
“Detroit feels this is the missing piece for them to take their next step and GM Steve Yzerman has never really shied away from making that kind of big deal,” D'Amico concluded on Saturday, while predicting that Trocheck is the most likely player who could be shipped to Motown.
The Red Wings look like a playoff team as currently constructed, but the addition of one of Trocheck, Kadri or Pettersson could be the missing piece in turning this roster into a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.
Obviously, the price tag on all three would be steep, but it's becoming more and more clear that Detroit is ready to shed the rebuild label and return to championship relevance for the first time in a decade.
