General manager Steve Yzerman is now seemingly 0 for 2 in his attempts to improve the Detroit Red Wings' defense. The Red Wings were reportedly heavily involved in trade discussions for Quinn Hughes, and the latest miss is Rasmus Andersson, who was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights by the Calgary Flames.
The good news is that not all is lost for Yzerman, and there should be a number of players that can be had through a trade to improve the blue line and the Red Wings' chances at the playoffs. These are some of the top players that the Red Wings could be looking to target.
Dougie Hamilton
As the New Jersey Devils continue to struggle, all options seem to be on the table, and that includes trading one Dougie Hamilton. The Devils' top defenseman has seemingly had a falling out with the team as he was a healthy scratch earlier this month, which his agent called a "business decision."
At 32 years old, Hamilton can still be a key part of a defense and, through 43 games with five goals and nine assists, while averaging over 21:30 of ice time. One area in which the Red Wings have an advantage over other teams, and why New Jersey might want to trade with them, is that they have the cap space to take the entire salary.
Hamilton's current contract has two more years left with an AAV of $9 million, so a move like this could be more than just a short-term rental and give them a veteran presence on defense.
When considering that fact, it could help the Devils in not having to retain salary, but also the Red Wings might not have to offer as much in return for Hamilton. This is certainly one of the top names on the market and would be a great fit that could separate Detroit from the rest of the division.
Justin Faulk
As much as the St. Louis Blues don't want to give up on the season, they really aren't going anywhere with 46 points in 49 games. They are a team that may want to wait until after the Olympics to be sellers and give themselves a few more weeks to see the season turn around.
However, once that decision is made to build for the future, Justin Faulk is a player that should be available and one that the Detroit Red Wings should be very interested in. Even with the Blues' struggles, Faulk is playing really good hockey with 22 points in 49 games, and if he keeps this points per game pace, he will finish with 36 points, the most since the 2022-23 season.
Faulk is a veteran with plenty of playoff hockey experience from his time in Carolina as well as St. Louis. This would be a huge boost for a relatively young Red Wings locker room if they are able to get to the playoffs.
Carson Soucy
The New York Rangers recently put out a letter that said they want to "retool" but however they want to describe it, the message is clear that they are looking to trade. One of the players that could be available is Carson Soucy, who was traded to the Rangers just ahead of last season's trade deadline.
Soucy is a veteran defenseman who may not be able to provide top-pair minutes like Hamilton or Faulk, but could give the Red Wings depth and be better suited for that second pair. Through 44 games this season, Soucy has eight points while averaging 17:18 of ice time with 63 blocks and 68 hits.
He is another veteran who can help lead this group, as he has been a part of deep playoff runs in recent seasons with the Seattle Kraken in 2023 and the Vancouver Canucks in 2024. If the Red Wings are looking for a player who knows playoff hockey, Soucy might be the best bang-for-your-buck target because the return probably won't be that much.
The Detroit Red Wings are clearly hoping to add to their defense with the failed attempts for Quinn Hughes and Rasmus Andersson, but adding any of these three players would certainly achieve the goal they have.