Detroit Red Wings: It’s time to move Adam Erne if possible

The Detroit Red Wings need to be able to start thinking about the trade deadline. Things are going to creep up quickly after the All-Star time. Red Wings General Manager (GM) Steve Yzerman has been known to capitalize on assets as the deadline comes around.

During his tenure with the Detroit Red Wings, Yzerman has pulled off some beneficial trades around the deadline that have helped the Red Wings build for the future. With that in mind, the Red Wings are going to have some assets to move.

Adam Erne is one of those players. He may need to be packaged with another player or thrown in as part of a multi-player deal, but he needs to be someone the Red Wings move on from. With a lot of roster juggling going on during the 2022-23 season, it’s time to move on from Erne.

In 2019, Erne was brought in for the Red Wings in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. He was one of Yzerman’s “guys” from when he was with the Tampa Bay Lightning. One of those players that Yzerman felt would bring value.

He may not have been a top-six player, but he has found ways to contribute and join the team’s offensive efforts. He earned an extension, but Erne has played his way through that deal and is an unrestricted free agent after the 2022-23 season.

Detroit Red Wings forward Adam Erne needs to be moved.

If the offer presents itself, Erne is one of the players that Yzerman should try to flip in an effort to recoup some assets. In 2022-23, Erne has played in 38 games where he has scored five goals and added eight assists for 13 total points.

It’s not like he’s blowing the doors off this year in terms of offense, but he is creeping closer to his career-high of 20 points. He posted 19 in 2021-22 and 20 in 2020-21 where he was a bit impressive at times. There’s a chance he’s able to get there by the season’s end, but ultimately his advantage comes in providing depth.

He may not recoup a high draft pick or anything that drastically changes the trajectory of the Red Wings franchise, but he brings something in return and would add depth to the team that acquired him.

He may not be a highly-touted player on the trade block this trade deadline season, but if someone approaches the Red Wings about Erne, the team needs to pull the trigger on a trade.

Yzerman will likely get busy with the Red Wings roster once again as deadline season comes into focus, but planning things now could pay off.