The Detroit Red Wings are looking for playoff hockey in 2023-24. There's certainly no question about that, especially after their activity this summer. General manager Steve Yzerman has built an impressive prospect pipeline, and now he's looking to let them inherit an already competitive team.
Detroit's most recent trade certainly showcased this idea. The Red Wings acquired 35-year-old Michigan native Jeff Petry from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for defenseman Gustav Lindstrom and a conditional 2025 fourth-round pick.
Petry is far from the only veteran player to join Detroit this summer. Forward J.T. Compher along with defensemen Justin Holl and Shayne Gostisbehere are just a few of these new faces to come in. Of course, Detroit didn't only target older vets. In fact, their biggest addition this summer was a 25-year-old.
The Red Wings completed a long-awaited trade with the Ottawa Senators for forward Alex DeBrincat in July. DeBrincat, like Petry, is a native of Michigan. And despite interest from across the league, the 25-year-old reportedly held Detroit at the top of his wish list. DeBrincat signed a four-year contract extension as part of the trade back in July.
With the 2023-24 NHL season on the horizon, Detroit could still get one more trade over the line before the puck drops. So let's take a look and determine one trade the Red Wings must make before October.
Red Wings have an interesting blue line
If there's one area on the Red Wings that is most intriguing, it's their group of defensemen. Besides Gostisbehere, Petry, and Holl, Detroit also has Jake Walman, Ben Chiarot, Olli Maatta, and of course Moritz Seider. Simon Edvinsson is also worth a mention, though he is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.
It's hard to know just what to expect from this group. Walman and Seider played as Detroit's top pairing for most of last season, and they were incredible together. One has to expect this pairing to continue into 2023-24, and it must be expected that these two continue to get better.
However, there are a fair number of question marks. Maatta had a solid season last year and received a midseason extension for his efforts. Chiarot, on the other hand, had a not-so-great first season with the Red Wings. In fact, it seemed as if players performed better when they got away from pairing with Chiarot.
Then you have the new guys. Gostisbehere is a fine offensive defenseman, there's no question. However, the defense certainly leaves a bit more to be desired. Holl played well for the Toronto Maple Leafs last season. However, he made his fair share of mistakes. And they were often big mistakes.
As of now, Detroit has eight NHL-caliber defensemen on the roster. They will compete for six available spots, though some are virtual locks. One has to imagine Walman and Seider are secured in their place. That leaves six defensemen for four available spots. This is all to say that one defenseman must go at some point.
Detroit's ideal trade
Detroit must trade Ben Chiarot. At this juncture, not only did he perform below standard last season, he does feel like the odd man out. Detroit just traded assets for Petry, so you'd have to think he makes the roster. Furthermore, they just signed Holl to a three-year contract. He also feels like a safe bet.
Maatta is now on a two-year contract for this season and next. It's hard to imagine the Red Wings souring on Maatta just six months after securing him for these additional two seasons. Detroit could certainly still trade the veteran blue-liner. However, it feels unlikely at this point.
That leaves Edvinsson, Gostisbehere, and Chiarot for the last spot. Edvinsson is recovering from offseason surgery, and he could miss the start of the season. Gostisbehere is only on a one-year contract. However, that contract was signed back on July 1. It's hard to imagine Detroit getting rid of him before he plays a game for them, barring something unforeseen.
That leaves Chiarot as the odd man out, and it's the right call. Of course, Detroit could keep one of these players as a super-depth option. That said, they could also get out of Chiarot's contract and use someone like Jared McIssac as the depth option.
Chiarot's contract was a major point of criticism from the moment he signed the four-year, $19 million pact last summer. Now, that criticism has grown louder. Detroit's blue line might be better without him, and there may be no more opportune time to move on from the 32-year-old veteran.
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