Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings Now Have Room to Acquire DeBrincat Following Zadina Departure
With the termination of Zadina’s contract, the Detroit Red Wings now have ample room to make a trade for Alex DeBrincat and sign him.
The Detroit Red Wings have created significant cap space after Filip Zadina cleared waivers, providing them with an opportunity to make further moves. With a current cap hit of arpund $70 million and with $13.5 million in cap space, the Red Wings are in a strong position to pursue Alex DeBrincat, potentially assisting the Ottawa Senators in their efforts to move the forward, as rumored for several weeks.
While Zadina is expected to sign with another NHL team, it remains unclear where things stand for DeBrincat. On the Jeff Marek Show, Marek discussed how both the Red Wings and the New York Islanders have been linked to and can afford to acquire DeBrincat if they can subsequently secure him to a long-term contract. The expectation is that DeBrincat will be traded and sign an eight-year deal worth at least $8 – $8.5 million annually. Such a move would require both the Islanders and the Red Wings to assemble attractive trade packages and navigate the salary cap to accommodate his contract.
The Red Wings, who have struggled to make the playoffs in the past seven seasons, are aiming to return to postseason contention. Adding DeBrincat to their roster would not only get them closer to being a playoff team, but lock in a scorer they’ve been actively seeking for quite some time. General Manager Steve Yzerman, however, will prioritize making a deal that does not compromise the team’s long-term prospects. With one of the NHL’s strongest prospect pools and young players who could be involved in a blockbuster trade, the Red Wings have high hopes for their future competitiveness.
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman recently appeared on the NHL Network, expressing his belief that a trade involving DeBrincat to the Red Wings is not far off. Friedman noted that the Red Wings and Senators are have been talking on and off, with DeBrincat expressing his desire to play for Detroit. The placement of Zadina on waivers has provided the Red Wings with more flexibility in working out a potential trade. While Friedman acknowledged that the last hurdle remains uncertain, negotiations continue.
Is DeBrincat the Right Fit for the Red Wings?
The Red Wings are in urgent need of fresh talent in their forward lineup, as their leading goal-scoring winger in the 2022-23 season, David Perron, recorded just 24 goals. Despite a dip in production to 27 goals that season, DeBrincat would still become the team’s top-scoring winger.
While Detroit has the necessary assets and now the space to facilitate this trade, negotiations with the Senators may still involve some tough bargaining on Yzerman’s part. It makes sense as Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond, and Michael Rasmussen are approaching the final year of their contracts. Seider, in particular, has the potential to secure a long-term deal of up to eight years, with a contract structure comparable to Dylan Larkin’s March agreement (eight years, $69.6 million). Yzerman can add DeBrincat, but he has to think big picture in doing so.
Next: Fair Value or Overpayment?: Kings Re-Sign Anze Kopitar $7M Per Season
More News
