The Detroit Red Wings are in serious need of a top-six forward. Detroit did well to retain Patrick Kane on a one-year contract in NHL Free Agency. However, the rest of their moves did nothing to address their need in the top six.
The Red Wings bolstered their goaltending with the addition of John Gibson. Moreover, they added defensive depth in Jacob Bernard-Docker. Their forward signings — James van Riemsdyk and Mason Appleton — are depth options at best. This is not to say they aren’t good players, just that they don’t fill the void the Red Wings need to fill.
Detroit has time to find the top-six forward it seeks. And there are some options believed to be available to them. For instance, Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson could be traded before the 2025-26 season. Pittsburgh Penguins forward Bryan Rust, a Michigan native, makes sense for this team.
However, there is another top-six forward that may not break the bank like those options. He is signed for another two seasons at a very reasonable cap hit. The trade cost won’t be cheap, but it’s something Detroit can manage. Heavy.com is proposing the following trade between the Red Wings and Seattle Kraken:
Detroit Red Wings acquire: Jared McCann
Seattle Kraken acquire: Jonatan Berggren, William Wallinder, and a conditional 2026 second-round pick that becomes a first-round pick if the Red Wings win a playoff series.
Jared McCann is an Early Kraken Legend
Steph Chambers/Getty ImagesJared McCann would greatly improve the top-six look of the Detroit Red Wings.
The Kraken have not been around that long in the grand scheme of things. In fact, their first NHL game came this decade. They lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in that inaugural contest by the score of 4-3.
However, McCann has established himself as an early legend in this franchise’s young history. In 2022-23, he became the first player to score 40 goals in a Seattle sweater. In fact, he owns the three highest-goal scoring seasons in franchise history.
McCann was a major part of Seattle’s only playoff appearance. The Kraken defeated the Colorado Avalanche in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Unfortunately, they bowed out against the Dallas Stars in the second round. Still, they came within a game of the Western Conference Finals.
The Red Wings need a player of this caliber to help their playoff push. This is not to predict McCann reaching legend status in Detroit. But the veteran forward can become a heart and soul sort of player for the Winged Wheel.
Kraken Need Defensive Depth For The Future
Seattle has a ton of young forwards in its prospect pipeline. The Kraken have drafted the likes of Berkly Catton, Shane Wright, and Jake O’Brien in recent years. Adding Berggren in this trade proposal gives them an NHL-caliber scorer to plug into the lineup. However, it does not fill a major glaring need.
Wallinder’s inclusion in this deal, however, does. Seattle’s focus on forward depth has, as a consequence, resulted in a lack of high-end defensive depth. This trade gives them a near-NHL-ready defenseman in Wallinder.
Wallinder may be blocked by Detroit’s current setup, as well. Detroit has Moritz Seider on the top line of the right side of the blueline. Behind him, Axel Sandin Pellikka is expected to be the long-term answer on the second pairing. If Bernard-Docker finds his stride in Detroit, Wallinder could be out of luck.
This trade proposal gives both sides what they need. The Red Wings get a top-six forward who can score goals. The Kraken receive two young players with NHL upside as well as an early-round pick in a potentially deep 2026 NHL Draft.
Red Wings Trade Proposal Lands $25 Million 40-Goal Scorer