Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings NHL Trade Deadline Blog: Yzerman Has Quiet Day
(Editor’s Note: We will be updating this throughout the day for Red Wings rumors and news about the Eastern Conference playoff race.)
Per Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman’s tradition, nobody around the NHL knew what Yzerman would do before today’s 3 p.m. trade deadline.
You don’t want to play poker with Yzerman. He holds his cards close to the vest.
Turns out he didn’t do much.
The Red Wings had only made a minor deal, moving Klim Kostin to the San Jose Sharks. NHL Network reported just after 2 p.m. that the team was trying to land an impact forward to play in its top six.
The Tampa Bay Lightning, tied with Detroit for a wild card spot, improved its lineup late in the day by acquiring feisty defenseman Matt Dumba from the Arizona Coyotes. They landed forward Anthony Duclair Thursday.
The New York Islanders, two points behind Detroit and Tampa, didn’t make a move.
Former Red Wings goalie Magnus Hellberg moved from the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Florida Panthers. Hellberg has been playing in the AHL. The Penguins get Ludovic Waeber and a conditional seventh-round pick.
Really enjoyed covering him for a couple of weeks. Easy laugh, no pretense. https://t.co/ezt2SZkVmG
— Dan Kingerski (@TheDanKingerski) March 8, 2024
History says Yzerman leans toward being aggressive. But he is thorough in his approach, and weighs all of the factors, including if he wants to disrupt the team’s chemistry. That’s been a factor in their better-than-expected play.
Deadline Day Minute by Minute
9:53: It’s difficult to know how much interest there is in Red Wings defenseman Justin Holl who is the team’s No. 7 defenseman. The Red Wings presumably trying to move him if only to create room for an acquisition. Holl hasn’t played since Jan. 31.
The bigger obstacle is his contract, which has two seasons remaining ($3.4 million per season) after this season. That’s a hard sell.
Keeping Up With Rivals
9:57: Detroit fans are undoubtedly keeping one eye on what Eastern Conference playoff contenders are doing on this deadline day. The New Jersey Devils still believe they can catch Detroit and Tampa Bay if they land a goalie. They boast a skilled group. So if you are wondering why the New Jersey Devils are moving 26-goal scorer Tyler Toffoli, know it is about Toffoli’s contract status. He will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. They don’t believe they can sign him.
Extension for Toffoli is likely too steep for #NJDevils, leading to a trade being the likely outcome. Toffoli should do well in UFA this offseason. #TradeCentre #NHL #NHLTradeDeadline #HockeyTwitter #HockeyX pic.twitter.com/WdPsFoPr59
— AFP Analytics (@AFPAnalytics) March 8, 2024
10:20: We don’t know what NHL teams think about the Red Wings’ talent, but they do appreciate former Red Wings. The Vegas Golden Knight acquired 20-goal scorer Anthony Mantha. The Edmonton Oilers traded for Troy Stecher from the Arizona Coyotes Thursday as a depth defenseman. They gave up a seventh round pick.
10:34: According to Sportsnet, the Washington Capitals traded Evgeny Kuznetsov to the Carolina Hurricanes for a third round pick. Washington is retaining 50% of Kuznetsov’s $6.65 million for this season and next. He was in the AHL after coming out of the NHL/NHLPA Players Assistance Program. The Hurricanes are clearly pushing all in an effort to win the Stanley Cup.
11:37: Jeremy Rutherford of the Athletic is wired into the St. Louis Blues and he’s thinking they are not going to trade Buchnevich. That changes the forward landscape in the trade market. He is a desirable player.
All it takes is one phone call to change things, but the sense I'm getting is Buchnevich will remain with the Blues. #stlblues #NHLTradeDeadline
— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) March 8, 2024
11:40 TSN’s Darren Dreger reports Tyler Toffoli is going to the Winnipeg Jets. The Devils have work to do to replace Toffoli’s goals. The Devils got a second round pick in 2025 and a third rounder in 2024
The Devils are getting two draft picks by trading Tyler Toffoli to Winnipeg, per sources.
— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) March 8, 2024
Yzerman Gets On the Board
1:00 Red Wings traded tough forward Klim Kostin to the San Jose Sharks for AHL defenseman Radim Simek and a seventh rounder. The Red Wings move Kostin’s $2 million cap hit for next season. Will they add toughness elsewhere?
UPDATE: The #RedWings today acquired defenseman Radim Simek and New Jersey’s 7th round pick in 2024 (previously acquired by SJ on 2/26/2023) in exchange for forward Klim Kostin. pic.twitter.com/jz8TvqozFC
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) March 8, 2024
2:00: The New Jersey Devils landed a goalie, acquiring Jake Allen from Montreal for a third-round pick.
2:05:Â The Philadelphia Flyers have acquired veteran D Erik Johnson from the Buffalo Sabres. There was speculation among NHL sources that the Red Wings were also in the bidding for the 2006 first overall pick.
2:10: NHL Network reports the Red Wings are trying to add a forward to play in their top six.
2:45: The Tampa Bay Lightning gave up a fifth round pick to the Arizona Coyotes for gritty defenseman Matt Dumba and a seventh rounder. There’s no salary retention involved in this deal.
#GoBolts have $2,927,083 in usable LTI Salary space.
Dumba has a $3,900,000 AAV. https://t.co/RO1F0QCW9Z
— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) March 8, 2024