The Detroit Red Wings are looking to end their playoff drought and one trade pitch has them adding a star defenseman.
The website PuckPedia‘s PuckGM tool lets users create their own trades. One user proposed a deal that would see the Red Wings acquire Scott Mayfield from the New York Islanders.
Red Wings acquire:
Islanders acquire:
- Justin Holl
- Jonatan Berggren
- 2025 first-round pick
The blockbuster deal sees the Red Wings acquiring Mayfield from the Islanders for two players and a first-round pick.
Mayfield is entering the second year of his seven-year $24.5 million deal with the Islanders. The defenseman would project to be a first or second-pairing defenseman for the Red Wings. Last season, he skated in 41 games recording 0 goals and 5 assists for 5 points. In his NHL career, he’s skated in 469 games recording 25 goals and 91 assists for 116 points.
In return, the Red Wings would trade defenseman Holl and forward Berggren as well as the pick. Holl was a healthy scratch at times for Detroit as he enters the second year of his three-year $10.2 million deal. Holl could replace Mayfield on the Islanders’ blueline.
Berggren, meanwhile, signed a one-year $825,000 deal as an RFA. The Swede projects to be a bottom-six forward, but he has struggled to be a full-time player with the Red Wings.
Mayfield Dealt With Injuries Last Season
Mayfield fractured his left ankle in the first game of the 2022-23 NHL season last year.
The defenseman tried to play through it but was shut down halfway through the year. It was a frustrating year for Mayfield who said playing through the injury was tough.
“It was game one. There was a fracture in the ankle, and it just never healed right,” Mayfield said. “A couple of twists here and there, and mid-February was when we decided it just needed to get healthy and try to take some time off and ended up having surgery.
“There were some better nights, some not-so-good nights. Obviously, it wasn’t all just having a good ankle, but I need to play a pretty specific way, and it’s hard to do that when there’s something wrong. So, like I said, it was a tough season, and just focus on the summer.”
Mayfield is a big-body right-shot defenseman who is known for his penalty-killing and shot-blocking. He was selected 34th overall in the 2011 NHL draft.
Red Wings GM Wants Team to be Better Defensively
The Red Wings barely missed out on the playoffs last season. Entering the 2024-25 NHL season, Detroit’s general manager Steve Yzerman says the team needs to be better defensively this season.
“We need to be a better defensive hockey club top to bottom,” Yzerman said. “Our special teams has to be good. Our special teams both improved last season and we scored more goals. We gave up too many to make the playoffs, but you have to be solid in those areas. You can get by with not having the best power play or penalty-killing unit, but you better be solid in other areas. The key, ultimately, to long-term success is being a good defensive hockey team.”
The Red Wings ranked 22nd in the NHL last season in goals against with 275 while their penalty kill ranked 18th.
Detroit opens its 2024-25 NHL season at home on October 10 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
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Trade Pitch Sees Red Wings Acquiring $24 Million Defenseman in Multi-Player Deal