Wednesday, March 1st (Trades)
While the vibes were high that the Detroit Red Wings were able to come to an agreement with Dylan Larkin on a contract extension, Steve Yzerman was busy working the phones. This is when the first domino of the Red Wings trades fell.
It was an unlikely name too. Many thought the first name to be moved was going to be Tyler Bertuzzi, but instead, it was Filip Hronek. The Red Wings traded Hronek and a 2023 fourth-round draft pick to Vancouver in exchange for a 2023 first-round draft pick (New York Islanders originally) that is protected and could slide to the 2024 draft. The Canucks also sent the Red Wings a second-round draft pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
For the Red Wings, this was the start of the major sell-off from Yzerman. He continued on Thursday as well.
Thursday, March 2nd
Even though things were going so well for Dylan Larkin and the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday, things took a turn on Thursday. In all reality, it’s a good move for the team, but trading Tyler Bertuzzi had a clearly harsh impact on Larkin, and it showed in the presser.
Yzerman got the Bruins to bite on a deal that helped stack more draft capital. Boston sent the Red Wings a 2024 first-round draft pick and a 2025 fourth-round draft pick. As part of the Red Wings trading Bertuzzi to Boston, they retained 50% of his salary to make the deal happen.
It was another excellent move for Yzerman, who added another first-round pick into the mix and was able to get something for nothing since the two sides could not agree on a contract extension.