Trade Pitch Sees Red Wings Adding Star $40 Million Defenseman

NHL training camps opened up on September 18 and teams are starting to get the sense of their opening night roster. But, one trade pitch has the Detroit Red Wings bolstering their blue line in a blockbuster deal.

The website PuckPedia‘s PuckGM tool lets users create their own trades. One user proposed a deal that would see the Red Wings acquire Ivan Provorov from the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Red Wings acquire:

• Ivan Provorov

Blue Jackets acquire:

• Ville Husso
• John Whipple (signing rights)
• Cross Hanas
• 2025 second-round pick

The proposed deal would see Detroit add defenseman Provorov for three players and a second-round draft pick.

Provorov is entering the final year of his six-year $40.5 million deal. The Russian would bolster Detroit’s blue line as he would add some offense to it as well. Last season, Provorov skated in 82 games, recording 5 goals and 27 assists for 32 points.

As for the return, Detroit would part ways with goalie Ville Husso who is in competition for a roster spot. Husso is entering the final year of his three-year $4.75 million. Husso could compete for the starting job in Columbus.

Whipple, meanwhile, was selected in the fifth round of the 2024 NHL draft. He has yet to sign his NHL contract.

The final player the Red Wings part ways with is Hanas. He was drafted in the second round of the 2020 NHL draft by Detroit. Last season in the AHL, the forward prospect skated in 58 games recording 8 goals and 8 assists for 16 points.

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Red Wings Sign Moritz Seider

The Red Wings did make a big move on September 19 as Detroit signed star RFA defenseman Moritz Seider to a seven-year deal worth $8.55 million per season.

The contract comes just a day after Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman spoke to the media on September 17 at media day and said the sides weren’t too far apart.

“We continue to talk,” Yzerman said. “I’m hopeful we can get a deal done at some point – sooner than later would be better for both parties. I don’t think we’re terribly far apart but we’ll hopefully we can progress to get him here as soon as possible.”

Last season with the Red Wings, Seider skated in 82 games recording 9 goals and 33 assists for 42 points.

The deal also comes after Detroit signed RFA forward Lucas Raymond to an eight-year extension worth $64.4 million.

“Of course, you always want to get it done as quick as possible,” Raymond said. “But that’s the way it goes. It’s the way of the business. And like I said, just very happy we got it done.”

Raymond is coming off a season where he recorded 31 goals and 41 assists for 72 points in 82 games.

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Blue Jackets Announce Preliminary Plans to Honor Johnny Gaudreau

Columbus star forward Johnny Gaudreau died on August 29, 2024, at age 31. He, along with his brother Matthew were “killed after a suspected drunk driver crashed into them on a rural road” where they were biking in Oldmans Township, New Jersey,  according to The Columbus Dispatch.

Ahead of the 2024-25 NHL season, the Blue Jackets announced starting on their first preseason game,  all Blue Jackets players will wear a special sticker on their helmets. The sticker is blue with gray trim and features GAUDREAU, two doves between the numbers 13, which Johnny wore throughout his career, and 21, which Matthew wore at Boston College, in white.

A moment of silence will also be had before the Blue Jackets’ first preseason and regular season game.

Then, for the entirety of the 2024-25 NHL season, Blue Jackets players will wear a patch featuring Johnny’s number 13 on their jerseys.

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