Steve Yzerman could have acquired Pavel Buchnevich
Few general managers have made bigger moves via trade and free agent signings than Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman. In 2023, his Red Wings weren’t close to contending, so he ended up securing not one, but two first-round picks (one conditional) at the trade deadline, along with a second-rounder, plus a prospect and a couple of mid and late-round picks.
This season, the Red Wings lost star forward Dylan Larkin at the worst possible time. Since they are a team in contention, many in the NHL universe thought Yzerman would do the obvious and make a big buy this time around, much like he did over the summer in what was a genius move for Alex DeBrincat.
Yzerman, however, didn’t buy, and it seems as though he would rather promote some of his talents from the AHL. That’s the preferred method, but considering the position Detroit is currently in, plus the fact they have a ton of pending unrestricted free agents coming up, why not ship someone like Jonatan Berggren a first-round pick, plus a couple of mid-rounders, and maybe a B-prospect for Buchnevich?
No, you don’t want anyone to get in the way of your top prospects who could be NHL-ready, and that’s understandable. So trade for a top-six player in Buchnevich, give up some compensation before you overflow your strong prospects pool, keep him throughout the 2024-25 season, and opt not to re-sign a few of your pending UFAs.