As the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline approaches, the Detroit Red Wings and Edmonton Oilers are expected to be active. Edmonton will likely buy to climb the hump and reach the Stanley Cup Finals. Detroit, on the other hand, is expected to sell if the rebuild continues.
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Considering these two teams have matching interests, could they possibly team up for a deadline deal? You certainly have the assets for a trade to come together.
Red Wings & Oilers have history
It’s no secret that former Red Wings general manager Ken Holland is now at the helm in Edmonton. The longtime Hockeytown executive was responsible for much of Detroit’s quarter-century playoff series and the four most recent Stanley Cups.
Now in Edmonton, he’s trying to repeat history with a collection of talented players including Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Zach Hyman and Darnell Nurse. He can repeat history in a different way by trading with the Red Wings once more.
Ken Holland, former Detroit Red Wings senior vice president, shakes hands with Steve Yzerman, executive vice president and general manager. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Back in 2020, Holland signed two separate deals with Steve Yzerman and the Red Wings. First, the Oilers acquired defenseman Mike Green in exchange for Kyle Brodziak’s contract and a conditional fourth-round pick. Green only played two games in Edmonton before suffering a season-ending injury. The draft pick he was traded for turned into goaltender Jan Bednar.
The second deal was bigger. Detroit sent fast winger Andreas Athanasiou and AHL forward Ryan Kuffner to the Oilers in exchange for Sam Gagner and two second-round picks.
Athanasiou failed to impress in Edmonton and left the team as a free agent during the offseason. Meanwhile, in Detroit, Gagner served as a veteran presence and solid slice of depth for more than two seasons. The Red Wings eventually traded the two second-round picks in separate draft-day positioning trades.
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Red Wings on Edmonton’s wish list
To get a feel for what’s in store for Holland at this year’s close, I reached out to THW colleague and Oilers reporter Jim Parsons.
“Edmonton’s top deadline priorities are adding a left-handed defender without ousting Philip Broberg from the roster, finding some grit and a penalty killer in the bottom six (ideally a center) while also dealing with the cap issues . ‘ said Parsons. “It won’t be an easy task for Ken Holland, who thinks his team is pretty good and doesn’t want to unduly disrupt the chemistry in a roster that’s gone 7-1-2 for the past 10 games).”
The Red Wings have a few players who could be interesting. Olli Maatta and Jake Walman come to mind as quality left-handed defenders who can play up and down the lineup. Maatta probably makes the most sense here as a loan with two Stanley Cups on his résumé.
Olli Maatta could fit well on Edmonton’s left flank. (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)
In addition, Pius Suter fits the description of a bottom six center that shoots penalties. However, its $3.25 million cap hit might be a little too expensive.
Then there’s Tyler Bertuzzi, who Parsons thought could be a solid hire but not a long-term role in Edmonton. His determination and playoff-style approach to the game could well fit into the Oilers’ second line. Maybe a Zach Hyman 2.0?
Related: Trading Lures 2023 from Red Wings: Value, Comparables and Potential Trading Partners
And finally, the Red Wings have room in spades. They can keep up to two players’ salary this season and have plenty of wiggle room (~$29M in deadline cap space according to CapFriendly) to pick up bad contracts if necessary.
The Oilers fortune Detroit could covet
Not only do the Red Wings have players that fit Edmonton’s needs, the Oilers also have NHLers, prospects, and players that would also fit well in Hockeytown.
In the prospects department, Matvei Petrov, Tyler Tullio and Carter Savoie could bolster Detroit’s forward pipeline. Savoie might be a stretch, but Petrov and Tullio would make excellent acquisitions for the Red Wings.
Keep an eye on Matvei Petrov as he moves through the ranks. (Josh Kim / The Hockey Writers)
Petrov looks like a sixth-round steal for the Oilers. He’s shredded the OHL the past two seasons, including 73 points in 48 games so far this year with the North Bay Battalion.
Similarly, Tullio was originally selected in the fifth round and has performed well since his 2020 selection. The Detroit native has 18 points in 38 AHL games with the Bakersfield Condors.
From a salary cap perspective, the Oilers have two bad contracts they want to ditch: Jesse Puljujarvi ($3 million AAV) and Warren Foegele ($2.75 million AAV). The Red Wings could theoretically take both deals, although one would be enough to adequately help Edmonton.
After all, the Oilers have first-round and second-round picks this year and next. As the Red Wings continue to rebuild, high draft picks like these will go a long way toward escaping mediocrity.
Last word
On the surface, the Red Wings and Oilers have the parts needed to work together on a trade deadline deal. There are of course other buyers and sellers, so trading between these two teams is not a given.
However, history and alignment of needs cannot be ignored. Maybe old friends Ken Holland and Steve Yzerman can find some common ground before the deadline.
Data courtesy of CapFriendly And HockeyDB.
Tony Wolak is stationed in the Washington DC area and covers the Detroit Red Wings for THW. As a former junior and collegiate hockey player, Tony has a unique perspective on Red Wings issues.
Source: thehockeywriters.com
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