The Daily: WHL Honors Carter Bear; Red Wings Face Struggling Vegas

We may not know which prospects the Detroit Red Wings would give up completing a major trade before Friday’s 3 p.m. NHL Trade Deadline.

But we have a pretty good idea of at least one player he won’t move.

Carter Bear’s level of play over the past month should exclude him from consideration for any trade. The Western Hockey League honored Bear with the league’s Player of the Month honor for February. With 13 goals and 12 assists in 12 games in that month, Bear was the league’s most dominant offensive player.

You may be thinking we will see Detroit’s 2025 first-round pick in Grand Rapids later this season, but that seems unlikely because his Everett Silvertips are the favorite to win the Memorial Cup. That Canadian Hockey League championship series doesn’t start until May 21.

This is Bear Country!🐻@DetroitRedWings prospect and @WHLsilvertips superstar Carter Bear has been named February's Tempo #WHLPlayerofMonth, fuelled by Co-op. #LGRW

📝 | https://t.co/Kzm7oBouKh pic.twitter.com/L9tzP7nGn5

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) March 3, 2026

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TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that the Buffalo Sabres couldn’t complete a deal with St. Louis for Robert Thomas. The Blues want the moon and the stars for Thomas and the Sabres were unwilling to go there. We can guess that the combination of first round picks and prospects would be too much for Detroit as well. There’s been speculation that the Bruins are out on Thomas because they don’t want to give up prospects James Hagens or Dean Letourneau. . . As of this morning, the Red Wings have 21 games remaining and they have a six-point lead over the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Columbus team has the most points of any Eastern Conference team not in the playoffs. Moneypuck.com has Detroit’s playoff probability at 82.4%.

Hockey Now Digest

Boston: Bruins topple Penguins were their 11th consecutive home win. Boston Bruins. 

New Jersey: James Nichols breaks down the Devils NHL Trade Deadline direction. New Jersey Devils. 

Vegas: The Golden Knights come into Detroit with three consecutive losses. They picked up a gritty winger in a trade with the Nashville Predators. Vegas Golden Knights.