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The Detroit Red Wings are on fire once again in 2024-25. Detroit defeated the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday for their sixth straight win. This gives them two win streaks of six games or more under new head coach Todd McLellan. More importantly, the victory over Vancouver catapulted Detroit into the first Wild Card spot in the East.
Detroit is far from comfortable in its position as a playoff team. In fact, they have only completed half the battle. The Red Wings clawed their way from the bottom of the Eastern Conference into postseason contention. Now, they need to find a way to keep themselves in postseason contention for this season and in years following.
The Red Wings may be hard-pressed to find a trade that accomplishes this goal in 2025. However, it might not be as difficult as they may think. The Red Wings nearly landed Dylan Cozens before Christmas, which could certainly have provided a boost for the team. However, there is another member of the Buffalo Sabres who could help Detroit: defenseman Bowen Byram.
Byram is a logical fit for the Red Wings given his age and position. He is a young, left-shot defenseman who already has experience winning the Stanley Cup. He would give them a long-term option on the second pairing. And he could mesh well with top prospect Axel Sandin Pellikka, who is expected to reach the NHL within the next couple of seasons. With no further ado, here is a perfect trade the Red Wings must offer for Sabres star Bowen Byram.
Full trade
The Detroit Red Wings acquire defenseman Bowen Byram in this scenario. In exchange, the Sabres acquire defenseman Erik Gustafsson, defenseman William Wallinder, and a conditional 2025 second-round pick. This second-round pick becomes a first-round pick if Detroit wins a playoff series. There is no salary retention in this trade.
Why Bowen Byram trade works for Red Wings
The Red Wings receive a long-term piece for future seasons. Byram is a restricted free agent at the end of this season, which puts him in line for a contract extension. Detroit can easily give him this extension given that the core of their team is signed signed term already.
Detroit can also stomach the price given up for Byram. William Wallinder is a promising player with top-four potential in the NHL. However, he is blocked in Detroit by names such as Simon Edvinsson and Albert Johansson. Moving Wallinder for a player who could make a more immediate impact is smart for the Red Wings.
Gustafsson came to the Red Wings with the hopes of becoming a power-play quarterback. However, that hasn't happened. Gustafsson struggled early in his tenure with Detroit. He has played better as of late, however, and this is what allows him to head to Buffalo in this deal.
This is not an easy move for Detroit to make. They are trading one of their top prospects organizationally, and general manager Steve Yzerman prides himself on his draft and develop strategy. However, as seen with the Alex DeBrincat trade, he is willing to make major moves if it improves the team. This would certainly improve the Red Wings now and in the future.
Why Bowen Byram trade works for Sabres
The Sabres certainly could argue for the outright inclusion of a first-round pick in this trade scenario. And it's not hard to see why. The Vancouver Canucks traded a first-round pick for Marcus Pettersson in a deal with the Penguins. Moreover, the Dallas Stars traded a first-round pick for two pending unrestricted free agents.
However, the Red Wings won't be comfortable moving their first-round pick without knowing they made a legitimate playoff run. As a result, they reach a compromise. Detroit includes Wallinder, a defenseman they are very high on, in exchange for the first-round pick depending on their postseason results.
The Sabres can live with this. Gustafsson provides defensive depth for this season and next. Wallinder works within Buffalo's timeline and may not require a massive contract extension like Byram. And if everything works out, there is no reason to believe the Red Wings couldn't win a playoff series this spring.
It's not the most glitz and glamour trade return. However, it's a trade return the Sabres can live with. They have shown the ability to develop defensemen over the last few seasons. They can get value out of both Wallinder and Gustafsson. And they may be able to continue stocking their impressive prospect pipeline with the pick involved. This is a fine trade return for Byram if they are not going to offer him a contract extension.
