The Detroit Red Wings probably couldn’t have asked for a greater spot to be in ahead of the nearly three week Olympic break. Through 58 games in 2025-26, Todd McLellan’s club is 33-19-6 and third place in an ultra-competitive Atlantic Division.
The franchise and fan base alike are desperate to interrupt the long postseason drought, which stretches back to the 2016-17 campaign. After a decade of middling results, the Wings look well-positioned to return to the dance come April — and that will likely be very true if GM Steve Yzerman adds one other piece or two ahead of the March 6 NHL Trade Deadline.
As RG Media’s Marco D’Amico reported on Saturday morning, he could possibly be seeking to just do that when the Olympic roster freeze lifts on Feb. 22.
“The Detroit Red Wings proceed to be a team seeking to significantly improve down the center,” the hockey insider reported. “Sources have indicated that the Red Wings not only wish to grab one other top-six pivot, but they need to amass a veteran center with term and are willing to pay the large price.”
D’Amico added: “Taking a look at the extremely competitive Atlantic Division, R.org has been told that the Red Wings view their center depth as their biggest weakness as compared to other top teams of their division without delay.
“They’ve the experience and talent along the wings with Patrick Kane, Alex DeBrincat, Lucas Raymond, James Van Riemsdyk, and more. They’ve even recently moved Marco Kasper, the heir apparent to the second-line center role, as recently as this training camp, to the wing; leaving Andrew Copp because the team’s current 2C.”
Who could Red Wings goal down the center?
Dylan Larkin is a bonafide NHL superstar, but after him, the depth at center is lacking in Detroit. If the club could herald a legitimate 2C ahead of the deadline, it could be an enormous boon not only in getting the team into the playoffs, but potentially winning a few rounds as well.
Sources told D’Amico that the Red Wings are a serious contender for Latest York Rangers forward Vincent Trocheck, who is a superb defensive player and has also amassed 36 points in 43 games while playing on the Blueshirts’ top powerplay unit.
D’Amico also doesn’t rule out a possible greater move, attempting to snag a player like Calgary Flames’ Nazem Kadri or Vancouver Canucks’ Elias Pettersson. All three forwards can be excellent second-line center options that might play below Larkin on the depth chart.
“Detroit feels that is the missing piece for them to take their next step and GM Steve Yzerman has never really shied away from making that type of big deal,” D’Amico concluded on Saturday, while predicting that Trocheck is the probably player who could possibly be shipped to Motown.
The Red Wings seem like a playoff team as currently constructed, however the addition of one in every of Trocheck, Kadri or Pettersson could possibly be the missing piece in turning this roster right into a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.
Obviously, the worth tag on all three can be steep, but it surely’s becoming an increasing number of clear that Detroit is able to shed the rebuild label and return to championship relevance for the primary time in a decade.