The Detroit Red Wings have two goalie prospects in the system but could use a legit No. 1 starter for a year or two until they are ready.
The website PuckPedia’s PuckGM tool lets users create their own trades. One user proposed a deal that would see the Red Wings trading Alex DeBrincat to the Columbus Blue Jackets in an offseason move.
Red Wings acquire:
- Elvis Merzlikins
- 2025 first-round pick
- 2026 fifth-round pick
Blue Jackets acquire:
- Alex DeBrincat
- Noah Dower Nilsson (signing rights)
The proposed deal would be a blockbuster as Detroit would acquire a star goalie and two draft picks, including a first for a prospect and an All-Star forward.
The Red Wings would acquire Merzlikins, who could be Detroit’s No. 1 goalie next season. Merzlikins would have two years left on his five-year, $27 million deal, so the timing works for him to be the starter before Sebastian Cossa and Trey Augustine are ready to take over. Merzlikins has gone 23-19-5 with a 3.03 GAA and a .896 SV% this season.
In return, Columbus would acquire DeBrincat, who would add some much-needed offense to the Blue Jackets’ roster. The star forward is currently in the second year of a four-year, $31.5 million deal with Detroit. He would be a first-line forward for Columbus, as this season, he’s recorded 33 goals and 29 assists for 62 points.
The Blue Jackets would also acquire Dower Nilsson, who was a third-round pick in 2023. The prospect is playing in Sweden and has yet to sign his NHL contract.
Red Wings Unsure of Goalie Market in Offseason
Detroit doesn’t have a clear-cut No. 1 goalie but did trade for Petr Mrazek at the deadline.
Mrazek and Cam Talbot both have term left on their deals. Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman says they acquired Mrazek due to the fact they weren’t sure what goalies would be available this offseason.
“It’s a strange time in the NHL for goaltenders,” Yzerman said after the NHL Trade Deadline. “The people that played with and were here in the organization when Petr was here early in his career really support him, the person, and his competitiveness. It’s up and down around the League. We look at goals-against averages and save percentage of the goaltenders, and it’s a bit all over the place. One thing that was also attractive to us is he’s signed for another season. And the goalie market right now, looking into the summer, what goalies are signing for, the term and the dollar amounts, for what our options were today and what our options might be in the offseason, we thought it was good insurance for us.”
However, if Detroit is able to acquire a goalie like Merzlikins, the Red Wings should have no problem dealing either Talbot or Mrazek to a goalie-needy team.
Merzlikins Previously Requested a Trade
Despite being Columbus’ starting goalie, Merzlikins hasn’t been pleased with the Blue Jackets in the past.
During the 2023-24 NHL season, Merzlikins requested a trade, and that bled into the offseason. However, GM Don Waddell made it clear he will be a Blue Jacket as he didn’t think any team would trade for Merzlikins’ contract.
“Let’s be honest, nobody is going to trade for that contract. Nobody,” Waddell said to The Athletic. “People say, ‘Well, why don’t you buy out the contract?’ It’s a six-year buyout, and there are years three, four, five and six, when you might need that cap space. So you’ve eliminated those two options.”
But, after Merzlikins played well this season, perhaps it is easier to trade him.
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