Red Wings Pursuing Robert Thomas, Vincent Trocheck
Insider Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet published this evening’s Trade Deadline Thoughts, where he noted that the Detroit Red Wings are in the mix on the market’s top two centers: Robert Thomas of St. Louis and the Rangers’ Vincent Trocheck.
Thomas, 26, is the bigger fish and likely the #1 overall player available before tomorrow’s 3 p.m. ET deadline. If GM Steve Yzerman would be able to pull it off, the 26-year-old could be the final piece to the puzzle up front after years of building. The center, an 80+ point getter over the last two seasons, is locked up through 2030-31 at a $8.125MM cap hit, reasonable considering that it will take him through the prime of his career.
Detroit has missed the playoffs for nine straight years, and patience was wearing thin. Making it 10 was simply not an option, and sure enough, the team is well on their way to end the drought. Even just making it is half the battle, but if the Wings could win more than one round, it would be the first time since 2009, when they came just short of back-to-back Stanley Cups.
A center such as Thomas or Trocheck could make Detroit a real dark horse contender. Current 2C Andrew Copp has played well this season, already reaching his second best point total as a Red Wing in 62 games, but he’d be better off as a third line middleman. Cheaper options exist, such as Nashville’s Erik Haula, but looking at their lineup it’s really all or nothing in terms of what could actually push the Wings over the top.
Suffice to say, there’s a reason for Yzerman to be aggressive. Years of patience have assembled a nucleus of young talent which few teams can rival in trade offers. For Thomas, it has been reported that the Blues are seeking multiple first-round picks or equivalent pieces, as Buffalo and Utah have made a push. As for Detroit, it’s not clear who may be in discussion, but St. Louis would have a variety of assets to choose from.
Standout NCAA goaltending prospect Trey Augustine could especially appeal to the Blues as they could move on from Jordan Binnington. Also, Michael Brandsegg-Nygard and Carter Bear are both wingers selected in the first round over the last two years. They’d allow Yzerman to march on without touching his current group.
On the other hand, Nate Danielson and Marco Kasper would be assets appealing to St. Louis, or maybe even New York as they could jump right into the lineup. Both top 10 selections, their NHL production has hit a bit of a snag, possibly enough that Yzerman could move on.
If St. Louis was to add defense to their Thomas trade wish list, youngsters Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Albert Johansson emerge, although both are current contributors to the Wings lineup, which is already thin in depth. Especially if Yzerman were to part with the uber-talented Sandin-Pellikka, it may require a bigger deal where someone like Justin Faulk also came along.
Detroit stands out as a suitor as even after all seven of those players listed, there are still several other noteworthy candidates, not to mention their draft capital. Yzerman holds all of the team’s selections besides one second rounder in 2027.
The Red Wings have all the pieces to put together a blockbuster, and it may simply come down to the Aurora, Ontario native’s preferences, as he holds a no trade clause.
Even if Thomas is not meant to be, Trocheck would still be a tremendous fit in Detroit. The 32-year-old already had ties to the area, playing in the Little Caesars program as a youth, and his OHL Hockey in Saginaw. He has already been linked to Detroit for such reasons. Older, and signed through 2028-29 at a reasonable $5.625MM, he would naturally bring less in return than Thomas. However, there’s still plenty to offer that would have the Rangers salivating as they move forward on their youth movement.
New York fans can likely forget about the Wings’ absolute top assets, but a first rounder in either of the next two seasons along with some serious second tier options would be adequate. Rangers GM Chris Drury is not forced to move Trocheck now, as he could hold off until the summer, but the Blueshirts completing their lost season with all three 32-year-old centers still in the fold doesn’t seem favorable.
Whether it could be Thomas in a blockbuster, or Trocheck in what would still be one of the bigger deals of the deadline, time will tell. Yzerman will remain disciplined against high demands. Yet there’s enough reason from Detroit to swing a trade for Thomas or Trocheck, and pushing for more than simply returning to the playoffs this spring.
Image Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images (Thomas)
Image Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images (Trocheck)
Red Wings Recall Sebastian Cossa, Reassign Erik Gustafsson
March 5th: According to a team announcement, the Red Wings have reassigned Cossa back to AHL Grand Rapids. The transaction indicates that Gibson will be available for tomorrow’s contest against the Florida Panthers.
March 4th: The Red Wings announced they’ve called up top goaltending prospect Sebastian Cossa under emergency conditions. To open a spot on the active roster, they reassigned defenseman Erik Gustafsson to AHL Grand Rapids after he cleared waivers yesterday.
Cossa, 23, ranks third among Red Wing farmhands at Elite Prospects and second at McKeen’s Hockey, although both rankings were done preseason. He’s only solidified that ranking with another exceptional year in the minors. The 2021 first-round pick out of WHL Edmonton has a .914 SV% across 115 games in four AHL seasons. That includes a .927 mark in 31 games this season with a 1.99 GAA, five shutouts, and a 24-4-3 record.
Public discourse has somewhat forgotten about the 6’6″ Cossa because of his limited NHL opportunities to date. He’s yet to make a start and only has one career relief appearance, coming into a game against the Sabres in December 2024 at the first intermission and allowing two goals on 14 shots the rest of the way. Nothing in his minor-league track record or development path yet shows he wasn’t worthy of the premier draft selection, though, and goalies taking several years post-draft to develop and make an NHL impact is nothing new.
Unlike most young goaltenders in his situation, though, he doesn’t have a clear-cut path to ‘goalie of the future’ honors in Detroit. 2023 second-rounder Trey Augustine is regarded by some as the better prospect (even first overall in their system, according to NHL.com), and he’s currently putting up a .929 SV% and 22-7-1 record in his junior year at Michigan State. If the 21-year-old opts to turn pro this spring, he and Cossa will likely be put in a direct challenge with each other for backup duties behind John Gibson next season, with Cam Talbot set to hit the open market.
Speaking of Gibson, the upper-body injury he sustained against the Predators on Monday is the reason for Cossa’s recall ahead of tonight’s matchup with the Golden Knights. Cossa will likely back up Talbot while Gibson continues to undergo evaluation, but head coach Todd McLellan made it clear postgame that he doesn’t expect his starting netminder to miss too much time.
Red Wings Place Erik Gustafsson On Waivers
March 3: Gustafsson cleared waivers, per Friedman.
March 2: The Detroit Red Wings placed veteran defenseman Erik Gustafsson on waivers today, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The move paves the way for the Red Wings to open up a spot on their 23-man roster, as this waiver placement was likely made with the intent of sending the blueliner down to the team’s AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins.
The move doesn’t come as a major surprise, as Gustafsson has been a frequent healthy scratch for the Red Wings in his most recent stint on their NHL roster. Since being recalled on Jan. 15, Gustafsson has dressed for just a single game, serving as a healthy scratch for 11 of the team’s 12 contests. 
While he did receive over 20 minutes of ice time in the game he was dressed for – a 5-0 loss to the Avalanche on Jan. 31 – it’s been clear for some time that Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan prefers to staff his defense with other players.
As a result, this has been a difficult season for the 33-year-old. A veteran of over 500 games, Gustafsson was once a 60-point scorer, an emerging offensive force from the back-end as a part of the Chicago Blackhawks in the late 2010s.
He wasn’t able to sustain that level of production for very long, though, and began bouncing around the league, offering his services as a bottom-pairing puck-moving defenseman with power play utility to various teams. He even made a few deep playoff runs in the process, winning a Clarence S. Campbell Bowl with the Montreal Canadiens in 2021, and appearing in the Eastern Conference Final in 2024 as a member of the New York Rangers.
Gustafsson made the most of that Rangers tenure in particular, which is what landed him in Detroit in the first place. The Red Wings signed Gustafsson to a two-year, $2MM AAV deal on July 1, 2024 after he managed to provide New York with a significant amount of surplus value on his prior deal, having scored 31 points on just an $825K salary. He wasn’t able to bring that kind of effectiveness to Detroit, scoring just 18 points in 60 games.
So far in 2025-26, he’s fallen further down Detroit’s depth chart. He’s been a staple in the press box when on the NHL roster, and has just two NHL games played this season. He’s been productive in the AHL, scoring 20 points in 22 games, but those are also his first AHL games since the 2017-18 season.
Today’s news comes at a crucial point in Gustafsson’s career. As a pending UFA, he’s undoubtedly hoping to be able to enter the offseason player market on as strong footing as possible. The longer he spends as a healthy scratch and/or AHL player as a member of the Red Wings organization, the lower his chances are of getting a contract anywhere close to the $2MM salary he received in his last run as a UFA.
With the player movement expected to come in the lead up to this week’s trade deadline, it’s possible a spot frees up on another team that would allow Gustafsson to play out the rest of the season at the NHL level. But seeing as his waiver placement is coming before that movement is finalized, it’s fair to question whether teams will be willing to place a claim on Gustafsson, given that other players could be on waivers or otherwise available as the week progresses.
Photos courtesy of Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images
John Gibson Leaves Game With Injury
- Detroit Red Wings starting goalie John Gibson left today’s road win over the Nashville Predators with an upper-body injury, according to a team announcement. Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press relayed word from head coach Todd McLellan postgame, who told the media that he believes Gibson is “OK,” but added that he’ll be evaluated when the team returns to Michigan. Gibson has been a good fit in Detroit this season, his play helping lift the team into playoff position in the Eastern Conference. In 39 starts, Gibson has gone 23-12-2 with a .906 save percentage and 2.57 goals-against average.
Red Wings Recall Dominik Shine
Feb. 28: The Red Wings recalled Shine today, returning the veteran to their NHL roster. The move fills the lone open spot on Detroit’s roster. Shine played for the Griffins on Wednesday, registering an assist in the team’s loss to the Manitoba Moose.
Feb. 24: Shine and Dries were returned to Grand Rapids today, per a team announcement. The Red Wings are likely expecting Larkin to be available Thursday against the Senators.
Feb. 23: The Red Wings announced they’ve recalled Shine and Dries again ahead of practice today while they await the return of Dylan Larkin from his gold-medal-winning effort with Team USA at the Olympics. With only 12 healthy forwards on the active roster, it stands to reason one of them might stick around as injury insurance after games get going later this week.
Feb. 19, 1:49 p.m.: Both Shine and Dries are headed back to Grand Rapids after today’s practice, the team announced.
Feb. 19, 8:56 a.m.: While Detroit quietly returned Watson and Dries to Grand Rapids after Tuesday’s practice, they’ve brought Dries back up today, along with Dominik Shine, per a team announcement. Shine, 32, has been in Detroit’s system since signing with Grand Rapids as a free agent out of Northern Michigan University in 2027 and finally made his NHL debut last season. In 2025-26, he’s assumed the captaincy for Grand Rapids and is having a career year, scoring 21 goals in only 35 games.
Feb. 17: The Red Wings announced they’ve recalled forwards Austin Watson and Sheldon Dries from AHL Grand Rapids under emergency conditions. They’ll help the team fill out its practices this week until their contingent of Olympians returns to the squad.
Watson is a veteran of 528 NHL games, although none of them have come this season. The 34-year-old joined Detroit on a two-way deal in 2024 after a lengthy run with the Predators, Senators, and Lightning as a fourth-line/press box option, but he’s spent most of his time in the organization in the minors. After playing just 13 NHL games last year, he re-upped on a two-way extension and has suited up exclusively for Grand Rapids this year since clearing waivers during training camp.
While the Michigan native wasn’t more than a standard 10-to-20-point enforcer at the NHL level, he does have a tangible offensive impact in the minors. He racked up 42 points and 112 penalty minutes in 60 contests for the Griffins last year and has clicked at a similar but reduced pace in 2025-26. Through 39 games, he’s 10th on the team in scoring with 19 points (11 goals, eight assists) with a team-high 123 PIMs.
Dries, also a hometown signing, recently inked a two-year, two-way extension that will keep him in the Motor City through 2027-28. He was recalled twice last month under emergency conditions but has still yet to suit up for an NHL team since 2022-23 with the Canucks. Now in his ninth professional season, he has 277 points in 378 career AHL games – including a 17-16–33 scoring line in 39 games with Grand Rapids this year as an alternate captain.
Ian Mitchell Linked To Swiss League
Red Wings depth defenseman Ian Mitchell is expected to sign with Bern of Switzerland’s National League when he becomes a free agent this summer, according to Swiss outlet He Shoots He Scores.
Mitchell, 27, once looked like he’d be a long-term piece on the Blackhawks’ blue line. Drafted in the second round in 2017, he was an NCHC champion with and captained the University of Denver before turning pro in 2020.
The 6’0″ righty has yet to eclipse the career high of 39 games played he set with Chicago as a first-year pro, though. A gifted puck-mover, he could never honestly challenge for the top-four deployment and power-play stability he needed to be effective. He was shipped to the Bruins in the 2023 Taylor Hall/Nick Foligno deal before getting non-tendered last summer.
Mitchell signed a one-year, one-way, league minimum deal with Detroit in free agency. They were likely hoping he could be a valuable press-box piece and depth puck-mover if needed, but he hasn’t spent a day on Detroit’s roster this season after being cut from training camp and clearing waivers.
Mitchell had appeared in at least one NHL game in each of the last five seasons with Chicago and Boston, but that streak is in jeopardy now. His output with AHL Grand Rapids hasn’t been great, either. His 4-13–17 scoring line through 40 games ranks third among Grand Rapids defenders in scoring, but he’s usually good for at least a half a point per game in the minors. His +23 rating is on track to be a career-high, though.
Smooth-skating defenders tend to thrive in the NL, where he now looks to continue his career. SC Bern is historically one of the league’s top clubs but has had a rough go of things this decade. He will join a group that already has former NHLers Hardy Haman Aktell, Anton Lindholm, Joel Vermin, and Waltteri Merela signed through next season.
Red Wings Activate Simon Edvinsson From Injured Reserve
The Red Wings announced today they’ve activated defenseman Simon Edvinsson from injured reserve. He’ll be in the lineup for tonight’s clash with the Senators. They have an open roster spot, so no corresponding move is required.
Edvinsson spent the last seven games of Detroit’s pre-Olympic break schedule on the shelf with a lower-body injury. Thankfully for the Wings, the bulk of his recovery time came while no games were being played – he otherwise surely would have missed a double-digit total at what is a crucial point of the season for their playoff positioning.
With so much time off, the Wings get Edvinsson, hopefully, at full strength after going 5-3-2 to end January and through the beginning of February. That middling stretch, plus the Sabres’ win in their return to play last night, has bumped Detroit out of the Atlantic Division podium and into a wild-card spot.
Detroit dropped five out of seven with Edvinsson out. That’s not surprising considering the domino effect his absence has on their defense.
The 2021 sixth-overall pick has now fully arrived as a top-pairing piece, serving as Moritz Seider‘s partner for most of the season. He’s averaging over 22 minutes per game as a result and has a 6-11–17 scoring line with a +6 rating in 48 games. His pairing with Seider has also controlled 55.3% of expected goals at 5-on-5, eighth in the league out of 29 pairings with at least 500 minutes together this season, per MoneyPuck.
But without Edvinsson in the mix, Detroit’s left-shot options on defense become paper-thin. Ben Chiarot remains in the #2 slot on the depth chart and has been outscored 47-38 at 5-on-5 this season – his seventh consecutive campaign with a negative differential – while controlling only 46.2% of shot attempts. Albert Johansson‘s possession numbers aren’t any better.
They now get him back down a stretch run that sees the Wings face the sixth-most difficult remaining schedule, per Tankathon. The good news for them is their three principal competitors for playoff positioning – the Bruins, Canadiens, and Sabres – are also in the top 10.
Canucks Listening On Jake DeBrusk
Canucks winger Evander Kane is a known piece of trade bait after his struggles producing at home in Vancouver, especially given his pending free-agent status, but he’s not the only ‘Nucks winger on the market this spring. Vancouver is also listening to offers on Jake DeBrusk after being informed he is willing to waive his no-movement clause, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports.
It’s not at all surprising that the Canucks would listen to offers for DeBrusk, given the way their season has played out and considering their bevy of other bloated long-term commitments. The Canucks signed DeBrusk to a seven-year, $38.5MM contract with a $5.5MM cap hit in free agency in 2024 after he spent the first seven years of his career with the Bruins. DeBrusk was two years removed from a 50-point showing and had hit 25 goals three times in Boston, so he was viewed as an important piece to help replace a Vancouver middle six that had lost Elias Lindholm and Ilya Mikheyev that summer.
Things have gone quite poorly in Vancouver since his arrival, though. Their offense, which scored 3.40 goals per game in their Pacific Division-winning 2023-24 campaign, dropped to 2.84 GF/G last season and further to 2.54 this year. They’re in a seven-point hole in last place in the league coming out of the break and have no hope of re-entering the playoff picture. They’ll want to sell off as much as possible to accelerate the rebuild that began with the Quinn Hughes trade earlier this season, but without any high-end pending UFAs to dangle, moving largely consistent producers with control like DeBrusk has to be a consideration.
While DeBrusk’s 13 goals in 57 games this season are one of the worst per-game outputs of his career, his overall point production – adding 15 assists for 28 points – has been enough to rank third on Vancouver in scoring behind Elias Pettersson and Filip Hronek. He’s also been brought down by a terrible 8.3% finishing rate, nearly half of last year’s mark and well below his career average. Averaging north of 17 minutes per game, he’s generating shot attempts at a career-best rate, although his usually above-water possession metrics leave something to be desired.
All that said, DeBrusk is ripe for an increase in production with a change of scenery. At a $5.5MM cap hit, his career average of 24 goals and 46 points per 82 games becomes attractive in a rising cap environment, especially as he’s cost-controlled for five more seasons with gradually relaxing trade protection. Producers with similar recent offensive track records, like Michael Bunting and Anders Lee, are projected to earn as much or more on the open market this summer.
Considering teams are facing what now looks to be a historically weak UFA class this summer, next week’s deadline could be a chance for clubs to do early bidding to address future holes in their roster. DeBrusk will be of interest to many in need of short and long-term top-nine help. Among the teams to have placed exploratory calls on DeBrusk are the Kraken and Red Wings, plus the Bruins exploring a reunion with him, per Pagnotta, but all of those conversations still appear to be in their early stages.
Tyler Myers Wants To Be Traded To Red Wings
According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, Myers and his representation have targeted the Detroit Red Wings as his preferred landing spot. Dreger noted that the Dallas Stars, among others, remain interested and that Myers is willing to wait a few days to let the process play out. Regardless, Rick Dhaliwal of The Athletic shared that Myers hasn’t been asked to waive his no-movement clause yet.
There’s no question that the Red Wings are looking to bolster their defensive core, particularly on the right side. Youngster Axel Sandin Pellikka has shown flashes of his elite potential, but it’s clear that Detroit, particularly head coach Todd McLellan, doesn’t yet trust the rookie in clutch situations. That being said, it would make sense for the Red Wings to acquire a veteran blueliner on the right side as they continue their push to the postseason.
Sandin Pellikka is outscoring Myers by a considerable margin, has superior possession metrics, and has a similar on-ice SV%. Still, Myers is far more willing to sacrifice his body (blocked shots and hits) than Pellikka, and stands nearly a foot taller. If the Red Wings ultimately acquire Myers, they may believe he’ll perform better in an improved environment.
Trade Deadline Primer: Detroit Red Wings
With the Olympic break upon us, the trade deadline is under a month away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? After looking at bubble teams in recent days, we now shift the focus to teams currently in a playoff spot. Next up are the Red Wings.
Although they’ve gotten frustratingly close the past two years, the Red Wings are wholly poised for postseason competition for the first time in a decade. Not only are they projecting toward making the playoffs, but there’s a decent chance they’ll have home-ice advantage in the first round. There are noticeable flaws in the roster, raising concerns that the team’s success relies heavily on John Gibson‘s remarkable performance since early December. Regardless, given the ridiculous amount of cap space available to him, general manager Steve Yzerman has the opportunity to turn this team into a formidable playoff opponent.
Record
33-19-6, 3rd in the Atlantic (78% playoff probability)
Deadline Status
Conservative Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
$59.38MM on deadline day, 0/3 retention slots used, 45/50 contracts used, per PuckPedia.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2026: DET 1st, DET 2nd, DET 3rd, CBJ 4th, DET 5th, DET 6th, CGY 7th, DET 7th
2027: DET 1st, DET 3rd, DET 4th, DET 5th, DET 6th, DET 7th
Trade Chips
The Red Wings have selected at least one player in the first round for 13 consecutive years. Not all of those have landed, though it has been enough for Detroit to restock its cupboards. Assuming an acquiring team wouldn’t expect the Red Wings to reach the Stanley Cup Final or even the Eastern Conference Final, their first-round selection this year could have significant value with the expectation that it falls around the 20 to 25 mark.
With their numerous first-round picks, Detroit can trade some prospects, depending on the magnitude of additions they want to make. The Red Wings’ biggest trade chips come from between the pipes. A few days ago, we peddled the idea of Detroit trading Cam Talbot to a desperate team around the deadline, with the idea they would call up prospect Sebastian Cossa in his stead. Cossa, being the heir-apparent, wouldn’t affect Talbot alone, however.
Detroit has one of the best goaltending prospects not currently in professional hockey. Trey Augustine, 20, is in his third year at Michigan State University, managing a 20-6-0 record with a .932 SV% and 1.96 GAA. Coupled with his pair of gold medals from the World Junior Championships, Augustine could fetch a massive return at the deadline. Famously, the Florida Panthers used Devon Levi and Spencer Knight to acquire Sam Reinhart and Seth Jones, respectively, each of whom had a hand in their back-to-back Stanley Cup championships.
While the Red Wings will likely want to retain prospects such as Carter Bear, Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, and Nate Danielson, some lower-level prospects may be traded. While circumstances may change, Amadeus Lombardi, Carter Mazur, and Shai Buium don’t seem likely to have a long-term future in Detroit, making them potential candidates in trade packages for acquiring high-level talent.
Team Needs
Top-Four Defenseman: Of all the playoff-bound teams, Detroit has one of the most obvious flaws. After Simon Edvinsson suffered a lower-body injury on January 22, the Red Wings concluded play before the Olympics with a record of 2-3-1. Even before losing Edvinsson, the need was obvious. It’s clear that head coach Todd McLellan doesn’t trust rookie Axel Sandin Pellikka (yet) in high-leverage situations, and veteran Ben Chiarot is a better fit for strong bottom-pairing play. Throughout the season, Detroit has been loosely connected to top-four defenseman such as Dougie Hamilton and Justin Faulk, both of whom make sense to fill the need. Even if a player like Morgan Rielly becomes available, or another top-four blue liner with term, the Red Wings should be the first team calling.
Some Jam Up Front: This is one of the more obscure talking points of the Red Wings’ makeup. As of now, the leading forwards on the team in hits are Marco Kasper (131) and Emmitt Finnie (86). This is not an argument that Detroit needs to pursue a punch-heavy forward like Ryan Reaves or Matt Rempe, but they should aim to become nastier to play against, especially with an eye on playoff competition. Coupled with their need for an additional boost of offense, Kiefer Sherwood would have been the ideal fit had he not already been dealt to the San Jose Sharks. Still, would a player like Evander Kane make sense? He’s scored nine goals and 25 points in 56 games for the Vancouver Canucks this season, and has only failed to clear the 100-hit mark twice throughout his 16-year career. He would help provide the Red Wings with a mild boost of offense, playoff experience, and much-needed grit.
Image courtesy of Robert Killips of Lansing State Journal.