The Red Wings feel to be at a crossroads this summer. After a ninth straight season of missing the playoffs, fans are growing tired of the "Yzerplan". Steve Yzerman needs to make wise decisions this offseason in order to get the Red Wings back to playing hockey in May.
One of the strategies he can implement is trying to get playoff contenders to overpay in trades. With this upcoming free agency class being considered weak, these teams will need to get creative to improve their rosters. Here are three teams that can be good trade partners for Detroit.
1) New York Rangers
One of the teams set to be very active this summer is the New York Rangers. After one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history, Chris Drury has his work cut out for him this offseason. He needs to find a way to retool the roster this offseason and return to the playoffs. If he's unable to do that, he will likely be on the unemployment line. For that, he should be aggressive and work any angle he can.
What makes these two teams perfect trading partners is the availability of K'Andre Miller. The Rangers only have just over $13 million in space, and with a bunch of RFAs, they likely don't have the money to make any significant additions.
With Miller likely getting a contract with an average annual value between five and six million, he's a perfect player to move. The Red Wings would be a good landing spot with them in desperate need of defensemen.
Miller is coming off the worst season of his career, recording seven goals and 20 assists for 27 points, and set a new career high with 97 turnovers. While the regression is concerning, it does not mean that his career is over.
He's still only 25 years old, and there is still plenty of time for him to turn his career around. He's also shown flashes of being a good defenseman. A change of scenery might be all he needs to become a good player.
2) Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche are just three seasons removed from winning the Stanley Cup. There are still several key members of that championship roster on the team. While the past few seasons have not produced the same result as the 2021-22 season, it's easy to see with a couple of moves that they can get right back to the top of the hockey world. However, in order to do that, they need to clear cap space, as they only have $1.2 million available.
The most likely player to be moved is Martin Necas. While Necas was the headline of the Mikko Rantanen trade back in January, he carries a six-and-a-half million dollar cap hit. While it looked like Necas was in line to be Rantanen's replacement, with him not having a no-trade clause, it makes him very easy to move. He's someone that the Avalanche can move and get a decent return.
Necas would fit very nicely on the Red Wings' top six and provide the offense they desperately need. This past season, Necas had 27 goals and 56 assists for 83 points, the highest point mark of his career.
He's also only 26 years old, meaning there is still time for him to grow as a player. He can also be someone the Red Wings build around. They can lock him up long-term and have him be a core piece like Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond.
3) Dallas Stars
It's not hard to imagine a world where the Stars were lifting the Stanley Cup at the end of the 2024-25 season. They were in the Western Conference Finals, and if a couple of plays had gone differently, they might have beaten the Oilers, and who knows how they would have played against the Panthers?
However, with how their season ended their ready to do whatever it takes to get back and get over the hump. To do that, they will need to free up cap space, as they currently have $ 2.7 million available.
One of the players who seems to be on the trading block for the Stars is Jason Robertson. While Robertson has been a core piece of the Stars since making his debut during the 2019-20 season, he's entering the last year of his deal.
He currently has an average annual value of $7.75 million and is set for a significant pay increase. That is something the Stars will not be able to afford unless they do something drastic.
Similar to Necas, Robertson will give the Red Wings the offensive weapon they're lacking. This past season, he registered 35 goals and 45 assists for 80 points. In every full season he has played, he has yet to score under 78 points.
Roberston can be a real difference maker for the Red Wings. He can be the go-to player on the offense and be the missing piece to get Detroit back to the playoffs.
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