THN.com/free Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MTk3MDEzNjE2NzExNDQ0MTA4/usatsi_20381011.jpg] The Detroit Red Wings entered this season hoping to become a playoff contender. Instead, they're poised to tie their franchise record [https://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/DET/history.html] of seven straight seasons without a post-season berth. Following last month's trade deadline, GM Steve Yzerman acknowledged the Red Wings still had work to do [https://thehockeynews.com/news/will-the-red-wings-make-moves-during-the-off-season]. He noted that division rivals like the Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators are ahead of his club in their respective rebuilds, while the Montreal Canadiens are going to improve. The Athletic's Max Bultman [https://theathletic.com/4349156/2023/03/27/red-wings-offseason-needs/] felt acquiring a young scorer could help the Red Wings. On March 27, he continued to ponder whether Yzerman will bolster his scoring punch after trading away wingers Tyler Bertuzzi and Jakub Vrana at the trade deadline. Yzerman will have plenty of salary-cap space to work with if he goes shopping for a scorer this summer. CapFriendly [https://www.capfriendly.com/teams/redwings]indicates the Red Wings have $29.7 million in projected cap space for 2023-24 with 16 roster players under contract, including all his core talent. It's unlikely Yzerman will be a big spender in this summer's UFA market. Most of the best talent are those past their primes, such as the New York Rangers' Patrick Kane and the Toronto Maple Leafs' Ryan O'Reilly, or those in their early-30s like the Rangers' Vladimir Tarasenko. Bultman suggested Yzerman make a trade for a younger star comparable to the Ottawa Senators' acquisition of Alex DeBrincat last summer. With five picks in the first two rounds of this year's draft, he has the trade capital to pull it off. Finding a suitable trade target, however, could take some time.
