Yzerman faces a shrinking pool of targets as Yzerman weighs costly acquisitions for defense and center. Key players are off the board, forcing tough choices.
With the NHL Trade Deadline looming, Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman continues to carefully evaluate his options in a market that has started to heat up across the league.
Detroit’s last major move came during the summer when the club acquired goaltender John Gibson during the second day of the NHL Draft. Since then, Yzerman has largely stayed patient while monitoring the trade market, waiting to see how prices develop for potential targets.
The Calgary Flames sent defenseman MacKenzie Weegar to the Utah Mammoth in a massive deal that included defenseman Olli Määttä, forward prospect Jonathan Castagna, and three second-round picks in 2026. Detroit likely could have assembled a similar package, but paying that price for a 32-year-old defenseman may have been more than Yzerman was willing to commit.
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Another notable pending deal has the St. Louis Blues trading defenseman Colton Parayko to the Buffalo Sabres for a 2026 first-round pick and top defense prospect Radim Mrtka. While Detroit may have been able to match the offer, Mrtka’s value as a blue-chip prospect could have made that price too steep for a team focused on maintaining its long-term pipeline.
The market has continued to shift quickly with defenseman Tyler Myers, who Detroit had interest in, instead chose to join the Dallas Stars and return to his home state of Texas. Meanwhile, the Chicago Blackhawks dealt Connor Murphy to the Edmonton Oilers for a second-round pick, a move that could be one the Red Wings wish they had made.
As the market tightens and options become more limited, Detroit’s remaining defensive targets could include names such as Justin Faulk, Trevor van Riemsdyk, Rasmus Ristolainen, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Dougie Hamilton.
At center, the market has seen little movement so far, leaving several high-profile players still available including Vincent Trocheck, Robert Thomas, and Nazem Kadri. League insiders expect that acquiring one of the top centers on the market could require first-round draft picks as part of the return.
With deals expected to accelerate Thursday and Friday, Red Wings fans will be watching closely to see if Yzerman ultimately makes a move to reward a team still pushing to end its near decade-long playoff drought.
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