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The 2025 Stanley Cup Final is over, which officially means we are in the hockey offseason. Teams like the Detroit Red Wings began their offseason work awhile ago, though. Detroit missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs and have turned their full attention to the NHL Draft as well as NHL Free Agency. This is where a good amount of offseason trade activity will take place.
The Red Wings have a multitude of needs to fill this summer. One thing is crystal clear, however. Detroit is not looking to take another step back this upcoming season. 2025-26 is a season in which Detroit needs to take a step further. And general manager Steve Yzerman is prepared to make any move, so long as it makes sense.
“We’ve kind of felt that all along, we’re going to look at any good player — any player that can help us in any role — if there’s a player worthy of spending whatever amount on, that has an interest in playing in Detroit and fits a need for us, absolutely we would try to do that,” Yzerman said, via team reporter Jonathan Mills. “We’re in a different stage than we were maybe five years ago in that we have a good young nucleus of players. And if we can add to that with a prominent free agent, we’d certainly entertain that.”
With this in mind, let's take a look at what this team's most realistic trade acquisition is with the 2025 NHL offseason officially underway.
Sabres' Bowen Byram checks all Red Wings boxes
The Detroit Red Wings, as mentioned, have multiple areas of need. Detroit needs a top-six forward, for instance. Even if Patrick Kane re-signs in NHL Free Agency, Detroit needs another potent offensive option at the top of the lineup. Unfortunately, this may be a bit difficult to trade for.
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Jason Robertson makes sense for the Red Wings this summer. However, it's questionable whether the Dallas Stars would actually move on from him. There are veteran options such as Pittsburgh's Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell. In saying this, these players could very well stay with the Penguins this summer.
Ultimately, Detroit can fill this need in NHL Free Agency. What they may not be able to fill on the open market, however, is top-four defenseman. The only options that make sense for Detroit are Vladislav Gavrikov and Aaron Ekblad. Missing out on both of them would put Detroit in a bit of a bind.
This is where Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram comes in. The 24-year-old defenseman is coming off his most productive season. He scored seven goals and 38 points for Buffalo. More importantly, he played a full 82 games for the first time in his career. Given his injury history, this is a very good sign.
There are some holes in his game. For instance, he had -1.1 Defensive Goals Above Replacement in 2024-25, according to Evolving Hockey. While he was worth 1.1 Wins Above Replacement, his defensive shortcomings likely dropped his worth. Still, he is an effective top-four player who can give Detroit some offensive production. If paired with someone like Simon Edvinsson, for instance, his defensive shortcomings can be covered for a bit.
What makes this realistic is that the Sabres have reason to trade Byram. They already have top-four defenders on the left side in Owen Power and Rasmus Dahlin. Byram is a restricted free agent, meaning he needs a new contract. As a result, he is the easiest to trade. Buffalo is not afraid to trade within the Atlantic Division, either.
The Red Wings could land an important part of their roster with this trade. Byram could continue to grow in the Motor City. And he could help Detroit break its franchise record postseason drought in the process.
