As the Detroit Red Wings settle into the second half of the 2022-23 season, they will have their hands full. It will be a make-or-break first couple weeks, between trying to compete and make a postseason run or packing it in and selling any assets they can.
They hope they can get some things going and succeed in the second half, but the Detroit Red Wings might fall too far behind in the playoff race. It’s been a healthy mix of being buyers and sellers at the trade deadline in 2022-23, and there are some players that Yzerman may be looking to shop around before the deadline.
If there is one thing that the Detroit Red Wings fans have learned from General Manager (GM) Steve Yzerman, it is that he is not afraid to make a move to trade players. Recouping assets at the deadline has been a strong suit in recent years and could be the narrative again in 2022-23.
Here are 3 Detroit Red Wings who could be shopped around.
(F) Tyler Bertuzzi
First up, we’ll keep things pretty obvious. The trade rumors surrounding Tyler Bertuzzi have amassed quite a bit over the last two years or so. It consistently seems that Bertuzzi’s name is thrown around. He’s someone that Yzerman is likely to be shopping once again as the trade deadline continues to get closer.
The issue I take with Bertuzzi is that the 2022-23 season has not been kind to him. Things have been pretty abysmal, to be quite honest. Bertuzzi has played in just 17 games of the Red Wings’ first 48 and has struggled to maintain a clean bill of health.
He has a measly five points on the season with just a singular goal. It’s a tough go for the veteran winger who has been a fixture in the team’s top six over the past few years. He’s an unrestricted free agent after this year, and something has to give.
For the Red Wings, finding a suitor for Bertuzzi could be tough given his inability to stay healthy, but I would be expecting Yzerman to make some calls and see if there is any interest in the 27-year-old forward.