It's time for the Detroit Red Wings to make a move.
To be fair, it's been time for quite a while. The team has multiple glaring needs at center and defense. The division is doing everything in its power to get bigger and better. The shortlist of available players on the market is getting smaller by the day. In a little over a day, the trade deadline will be over. If general manager Steve Yzerman doesn't make a major move this season, the fans will start calling Yzerman's job into question.
In order to contend in a highly competitive Atlantic division, the Detroit Red Wings should trade for Columbus Blue Jackets superstar Zach Werenski.
Werenski, Red Wings have history
If you've followed the Red Wings for any period of time over the last decade, you've absolutely heard the name Zach Werenski mentioned at least once. Werenski, a native of Grosse Pointe, Michigan, has followed the Red Wings his entire life.
A former University of Michigan defenseman, was a roommates to Dylan Larkin while they attended college together. Larkin, who considers Werenski one of his best friends, has long hoped to unite with the flashy defenseman. They recently played together on Team USA during the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics, winning the gold medal in their tournament.
What Werenski would bring to the Red Wings
Zach Werenski is one of the best defenseman in the NHL. He currently leads the Blue Jackets in scoring with 65 points in 54 games. Adding Werenski to a defensive core of Moritz Seider, Simon Edvinsson, and Axel Sandin-Pellikka would immediately vault the team up to the top defensive rankings in the NHL. His offensive acumen, combined with Seider's defensive genius, would create the best defensive pairing in the league by a substantial margin.
Additionally, Werenski's 21 power play points would more than help to bolster Detroit's power play, which has all but stalled out over the last 20 games. Acquiring a player of Werenski's caliber would raise the team's floor and ceiling, taking them from a prospective playoff team to a legitimate postseason threat.
Werenski won't come cheap
Having said that, the Blue Jackets will be extremely reticent to trade their star player (and alternate captain). It will almost certainly require a massive deal to acquire a player of Werenski's caliber. The starting price would have to begin with multiple first round picks and high-caliber players like Nate Danielson, Marco Kasper, Axel Sandin-Pellikka, or even a goalie like Sebastian Cossa.
It's a huge risk - a risk that may involve mortgaging the team's prospect pool - but one that has the potential to pay dividends. A blockbuster trade signals to the fanbase that the Red Wings are ready to take the next step. It tells the team that Yzerman and the front office believe in them and know they can make an impact in the playoffs. To top it all off, it tells Werenski that they see him as a cornerstone piece on an already promising roster.
Of course, a lot of things would need to go right in order to facilitate this trade. The Blue Jackets would need to be convinced to trade their superstar defensemen. The Red Wings would have to put together a package that would likely make them very uncomfortable. Lastly, while not possessing a no trade clause, Werenski would need the final say on this trade, as he's a home-grown product of the Blue Jackets' farm team and a key component of their franchise.
Whether or not Yzerman makes this trade (or the Blue Jackets approve one) is up to both parties. But, either way, the pressure is on for Yzerman to make a trade this week.