3 players the Red Wings must target at the trade deadline after Dylan Larkin’s injury
The Detroit Red Wings received unfortunate news when they found out star forward Dylan Larkin would miss some time, but not all hope is lost in the Motor City.
Losing a dynamic player like Dylan Larkin will hurt the Detroit Red Wings, but luckily, he will return at some point during the playoff race. However, this may not bode well for Detroit over the next two weeks, as they have a brutal slate of games coming up that includes one tonight against the Colorado Avalanche and another against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Detroit has a pair of contests coming up with the Arizona Coyotes, who despite their unfortunate collapse, are capable of playing like contenders when they’re hot. The Buffalo Sabres aren’t going anywhere this year, but they have also been playing better hockey lately, and teams like the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Islanders can be deceptive.
That said, Detroit will miss Larkin if general manager Steve Yzerman does nothing between now and the trade deadline to give the Red Wings a stopgap in the short term and a sound addition following Larkin’s eventual return.
Red Wings must add another forward following Dylan Larkin’s injury
Through 55 games this season, Larkin leads the Red Wings in scoring with 54 points, and he also scored the most goals with 26. He has also been impressive on the man advantage, with 21 points and 10 goals, and Larkin also performs well at the faceoff dot.
While there is no way the Red Wings can adequately replace a valuable asset like Larkin, even in the short term, there are forwards who will at least ease the potential pain in Larkin’s absence. When he returns, that same forward could become a strong depth scorer or passer, which would make a good situation in Detroit even more ideal when the stakes are at their highest.
So, which three forwards should Yzerman target at the trade deadline to fill a monster gap that Larkin has left behind for the next couple of weeks? Here are three players who could immediately step in and play an admirable game.
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Frank Vatrano’s scoring prowess could soar in the Motor City
Since the center class is rather weak, we won’t look to find a center to replace Larkin as much as we will a forward who can simply keep helping the team score, and win games. And besides Jake Guentzel, arguably the best winger in the 2024 trade deadline class is Frank Vatrano.
With a cap hit of just $3.65 million, Vatrano fits easily into the Red Wings lineup without strapping the Red Wings for cash not just this year but also in 2024-25 if Yzerman called the Anaheim Ducks and facilitated a trade. Since Detroit is built to score a lot this season, Vatrano would be the best fit of any player listed, but Yzerman would also have to give up a lot to get him.
Of the measly 162 goals the Ducks have scored this season, Vatrano has 29 of them or nearly 18 percent. So if Anaheim’s star player can produce so well on a bad team, what can he do with a group like Detroit?
One, he would dramatically ease the team’s pain of being without Dylan Larkin, and two, he would take a team ranked fifth in the league with 216 goals (3.54 per game) up at least another notch. Then when Larkin returns, the Red Wings can adjust accordingly.
A trade for Pavel Buchnevich would warrant yet another blockbuster move
Steve Yzerman has a reputation for exciting the NHL universe with huge trades, and a big name like Pavel Buchnevich would be one forward he would bring to the Motor City in seconds if he finds a way to work out a deal. Like Vatrano, Buchnevich would be one expensive addition, but if Yzerman offers the right compensation, Detroit would have the 28-year-old for at least one full season.
He would cost more in cap space than Vatrano, but not to the extent that the Red Wings would need to move a vast number of players just to create space. Also, like Vatrano, Buchnevich can produce, with 24 goals and 48 points through 60 games this season, and it’s also worth pointing out that he’s found the net seven times on the power play.
Much like Dylan Larkin, Buchnevich has a respectable defensive game, and he has been stealing pucks more often than not this season with 38 takeaways so far. He won’t finish many checks or block many shots, but Buchnevich is valuable on the penalty kill to the extent that the St. Louis Blues have scored four shorthanded goals when he’s on the ice.
He would also be a prime skater for the Red Wings in transition should Yzerman work out a trade, thanks to his 52.5 Corsi For, which is a career-best despite an offensive zone starting percentage of 49.0. His xGF of 42.3 is also zeroing in on a career-high, which he snagged two seasons ago at 52.8.
Victor Olofsson has been a pure scorer in the past
Victor Olofsson is the one player who you may raise your eyebrows at, considering how ineffective of a scorer he’s been this past season. Olofsson has also seen time in just 35 contests and has been a healthy scratch often (he was most recently out with an illness recently, however), so why would Yzerman even consider trading for who has become arguably the Sabres least effective player?
One reason is that Olofsson is one of those players who can be deceptive, and several times throughout his stint with the Sabres, he has gotten hot for long stretches. Few wingers in the NHL can keep up with Olofsson once he decides to produce, something we saw at several points last season when he scored 28 times and even late in the 2021-22 season.
Olofsson has historically scored well on the power play, often from the circle, and once again, if Yzerman takes a flier on the 28-year-old and he finds his game, he will make Detroit’s already strong power play even stronger. Best yet, he won’t cost much, so if Yzerman isn’t looking to give up a lot, then Olofsson could come to Detroit at a cheap price and perhaps surprise a lot of fans with his scoring prowess.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)