The Detroit Red Wings are falling dangerously close to the ‘fringe contender’ label. And it’s one a team receives if they spend too much time drafting in the middle of the first round while having no clear-cut superstar in the lineup.
Lucas Raymond is the closest thing the Wings have to that, with Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Larkin looking like outstanding supplements, and Marco Kasper boasting Raymond-like potential.
If the Wings keep the 13th pick, they’re bound to find a capable prospect like Carter Bear or Ben Kindel. But when would Bear or Kindel be NHL-ready? Yeah, toward the end of the decade if they’re lucky. So, while I would have no qualms adding Bear or Kindel to the program, I’d love to see the Wings pawn the pick elsewhere for a player who can help them win today.
Likely, this trade would occur with a team that’ll have no business competing in 2025-26. Someone like the San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks, or Seattle Kraken. A team that’ll be stockpiling its prospects pool in hopes that they’ll help the team out within the next three or four seasons.
Trading down in the NHL Draft would be a smart move for the Detroit Red Wings
Sure, the Wings could trade back with a contender, but they better have a good deal on the table. Contenders will be meticulous with which NHL-caliber talent they’ll trade away, especially for a draft pick. That’s not the case with teams like San Jose (30th pick) or Chicago (25th pick), who, despite their numerous flaws, have some talent.
Imagine if Ryan Donato is still unsigned by June 27th. The Hawks can trade him to the Wings, who can immediately sign a player who put up 31 goals last season to their top or middle six. Or the Sharks, who could hand over a blueliner like Mario Ferraro and forward Nikolai Kovalenko.
No, neither player will put up a ton of points, but if a trade like this occurred, the Wings just landed a pair of bruisers at multiple positions. And both players would jump in and give more than what Justin Holl or Jonatan Berggren gave. It’d be an adequate trade-off, among other assets in the deal.
Keeping the 13th pick is good, but trading it could be great
Things would be different if the Red Wings weren’t capable of making the playoffs with the group they got, so long as they hit home on a few supplements. But the truth is, they have the talent; they just need more grit.
Someone like Ryan Donato would bring them that grit. And trading for the pending unrestricted free agent and signing him to a contract the second the trade’s official would bring a multi-dimensional player. The same goes if the Wings traded for a couple of excellent supplementary additions like Ferraro or Kovalenko.
Of course, these are just examples, and the Wings could dish the No. 13 pick anywhere they’d like and still get a decent return. But by targeting teams that need a lot of help and are using the draft to get that help, they could walk away with potentially their most well-rounded lineup yet.
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