Detroit Red Wings news: Givani Smith traded to Florida in 3-team deal

The Detroit Red Wings have reportedly dealt forward Givani Smith to the Florida Panthers in a three-team deal. The deal sent Smith to the Panthers, who, in turn, sent defenseman Michael Del Zotto to the Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks turned around and shipped forward Danny O’Regan to the Red Wings organization.

The 3-team deal helped the Detroit Red Wings bring in a new face to the organization. O’Regan was drafted back in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. He’s 28 years old and has been in and out of the league since the 2016-17 season.

https://twitter.com/DetroitRedWings/status/1604952280218099712?s=20&t=Vwcxd1twRdEj0k29GeWrPQ

Giving up on Givani Smith seemed a bit premature. After the beat down against Minnesota, it felt like having Smith around and in the lineup might help bring some physicality to the team’s forward core. Instead, he has a new home in Florida.

O’Regan has not played a single game for the Ducks during the 2022-23 season. He will be sent to Grand Rapids and report to the Griffins. O’Regan played in five games for the Ducks last season at the NHL level, where he had one lone assist to his credit.

Detroit Red Wings are in the news after trading Givani Smith.

O’Regan was able to get things done at the AHL level. With the San Diego Gulls, the center scored three goals and 15 assists for 18 points over 27 games played in 2022-23. He does not seem to be the enforcer type like Smith, but maybe Pat Verbeek was able to sell Steve Yzerman on why O’Regan was an important addition.

The move seems to be a bit of a headscratcher. Smith may have only two games played in 2022-23 and 14 career points over 85 games, but that is okay. He provides a physical presence and style of play that the Red Wings have been missing.

So moving Smith does not make a ton of sense to me, but with O’Regan having success at the AHL level, there must be some sort of value that the Red Wings think he can bring to the organization during his time in Grand Rapids.

The Athletic‘s Max Bultman noted that this move adds organizational depth. O’Regan brings that to the table as a center, but it again questions why the team was eager to part ways with Smith in exchange for a journeyman AHL depth addition.

Hopefully, there will be corresponding moves that make this understandable in the near future. But the Red Wings moving on from Smith remains a headscratcher.