Trade Pitch Has Red Wings Acquiring Star $68 Million Forward in Blockbuster

The Detroit Red Wings are off to a disappointing start to the season and one trade pitch has them acquiring a star forward in a blockbuster.

The website PuckPedia‘s PuckGM tool lets users create their own trades. One user proposed a deal that would see the Red Wings acquiring Mika Zibanejad from the New York Rangers.

Red Wings acquire:

• Mika Zibanejad

Rangers acquire:

• J.T. Compher
• Jonatan Berggren
• Jesse Kiiskinen
• 2026 second-round pick
• 2027 third-round pick

The proposed deal would be a blockbuster as the Red Wings would acquire Zibenjad for two NHL players, a prospect, and two draft picks.

Zibanejad is in the third year of his eight-year $68 million deal. The Swede is one of the Rangers’ top players and would become a star player in Detroit. This season, Zibanejad has skated in 28 games recording 6 goals and 15 assists for 21 points. He would be on the Red Wings’ top line.

In return, Detroit would deal two draft picks as well as three players. Compher is part of the deal to make the salaries work as he’s in the second year of his five-year $25.5 million deal. Compher could be New York’s third-line center and add some depth scoring to the roster.

Beggren, meanwhile, is a former second-round pick and would be a bottom-six forward with the Rangers. This season, he’s skated in 29 games recording 4 goals and 2 assists for 6 points.

Kissikinen, meanwhile, was selected in the third round of the 2023 NHL draft. The forward is playing in Finland and this season, he’s skated in 25 games recording 7 goals and 13 assists for 20 points.

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Rangers Open for Business

New York has struggled this season as the Rangers are currently out of the playoffs.

With New York struggling, the team dealt Jacob Trouba and has made Chris Kreider among other several star players available for trade.

“The mere fact that they’re publicly known to be available amongst other Rangers players tells you a little bit about the situation in New York, which might surprise some people,” TSN’s Chris Johnston said on Early Trading.

“If you look at the standings, the Rangers are holding down a playoff spot at this point but there’s been a general displeasure with the displeasure with the performance of some of the veteran players on the Rangers this season,” Johnston added. “They’ve dropped three games in a row and management is now considering other options to try to shake things up.”

The Rangers are in fifth place in the Metro division with a record of 15-12-1.

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Red Wings Trying to ‘Get Rid of The Noise’

Detroit had expectations of making the playoffs this season but the Red Wings have struggled.

The Red Wings are outside the playoff picture and coach Derek Lalonde says the team needs to get rid of the noise as the losses pile up.

“You get rid of the noise,” coach Derek Lalonde said, via Detroit Free Press. “It’s the reality of our profession. Control things we can control and that’s our process. At times it’s pretty good; at times, we need more of it.”

The Red Wings are 11-14-4 and in sixth place in the Atlantic Division.

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