The Detroit Red Wings moved a significant contract last week by trading goalie Ville Husso to Anaheim for future considerations. The move clears up $3.6 million in cap space for Detroit.
The Husso trade, on the surface, was a slam dunk for Detroit. It allows the team to shed a bad contract without retaining or taking back any bad contracts in return.
For the Ducks, it adds a competent goaltender to a corps dealing with injuries. John Gibson suffered an upper-body injury on February 22nd. The organization was already short-handed in net after a recent injury to Calle Clang, one of the Ducks’ American Hockey League (AHL) goalies.
Given the relationship between the general managers for the Detroit Red Wings and Anaheim Ducks, could another trade occur before Friday’s deadline be possible?
Yzerman and Verbeek’s history
Detroit general manager (GM) Steve Yzerman and Anaheim GM Pat Verbeek are cut from the same cloth. The pair have a history going back to their NHL playing days. They spent the majority of their careers as opponents before sharing the ice in Detroit from 1999 to 2001.
After Yzerman was hired as the Tampa Bay Lightning’s GM in 2010, he recruited Verbeek to become his assistant GM. The duo spent the better part of the decade running the Lightning’s front office together, building a roster that would eventually win back-to-back Stanley Cups.
Yzerman would not remain in Tampa to see the original Yzerplan come to fruition. In April of 2019, he was brought back to Detroit as the Red Wings GM. His first hire in Detroit was Verbeek, giving his longtime assistant GM the same role with the Wings. After three seasons together in Hockeytown, Verbeek was hired as Anaheim’s GM in 2022.
So, saying the pair has history would be an understatement. They both have similar philosophies and methods for running their respective teams. That being said, here are the three most likely players who could switch from Detroit to Anaheim or vice versa before the trade deadline.
Trevor Zegras
Trevor Zegras is a polarizing player. He is not well-liked by many NHL fans due to his perceived overhype, flashiness, and attitude. However, denying he has talent is a farce. He has often been the subject of trade rumors during his tenure in Anaheim, with speculation that he doesn’t fit the team’s philosophy under Verbeek due to his lack of defense.
Zegras has yet to become the superstar he was once thought to be, but his potential remains. Sometimes, a change in scenery is all a player needs to break out. The question is, with Yzerman and Verbeek’s similar philosophies, would Detroit be enough of a change? It would at least be interesting to see how Zegras would handle the rugged style of Coach Todd McClellan.
Vladimir Tarasenko
Tarasenko is the current Red Wings player who tends to show up on trade boards. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman has mentioned Tarasenko as a potential trade piece numorous times in recent weeks. "I've heard there's been some noise around him," Friedman said on February 22nd.
The hitch for moving Tarasenko is that he has another year left on his contract, and a full no-trade clause this year. Meaning any deal involving him would require his approval. Still, for rumors to be surfacing despite the no-trade clause, it may suggest Yzerman believes he could get approval. Next year, the full no-trade stipulation downgrades to an eight-team no-trade clause. It might be better for Detroit to wait until then to have more leverage in a deal.
Brian Dumoulin
This one isn’t going to turn many heads, but it could still be a solid move for Detroit as they continue to make a playoff push. Brian Dumoulin could provide some blue line depth and contribute while Jeff Petry is out with an injury. More importantly, Dumoulin has postseason experience. He was part of the Pittsburgh Penguins teams that won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017.
Dumoulin is also a pending unrestricted free agent, so any team that brings him in can do so without any commitment beyond this year. Dumoulin has 15 points and is a +1 through 59 games with Anaheim this season.
Keep following Octopus Thrower for all the latest news and rumors leading up to the NHL trade deadline on March 7th.