The Daily: Detroit’s Priority Should be a Center; Griffins Start Playoff Saturday
The post The Daily: Detroit’s Priority Should be a Center; Griffins Start Playoff Saturday appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now . Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Jerome Miron-Imagn Images There’s no rule preventing eliminated teams from making trades while the NHL playoffs are ongoing, but those deals don’t happen often. In 2024, the New Jersey Devils acquired goalie Jacob Markstrom from the Calgary Flames for a first round pick and defenseman Kevin Bahl between Games 5 and 6 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers, But GMs prefer to wait until the playoffs are over to move players because they have more bidders.
More bidders usually result in a better return. That’s why the Red Wings probably won’t do much until we are closer to the June 26-27 draft in Buffalo. This year’s July 1 free agent marketplace is short of high impact performers, although the Red Wings are interested in a few players with some scoring on their resumes.
But based on what GM Steve Yzerman, the Red Wings could be aggressive in the trade market, perhaps making a deal or two similar to the Justin Faulk deal. In other words, the Red Wings are willing to give draft pick or picks and a prospect for a veteran performance to fill a need. Here are the priorities: 1.
Second Line Center No one is giving up on Marco Kasper. But if they can land a proven No. 2, then Kasper can move to No.
3 center. That could enhance his development. 2.