Trade Pitch Has Red Wings Acquiring Superstar $45 Million Forward in Blockbuster

The Detroit Red Wings are looking to end their playoff drought and one trade pitch has them acquiring a superstar forward.

The website PuckPedia‘s PuckGM tool lets users create their own trades. One user proposed a deal that would see the Red Wings acquire Kirill Kaprizov from the Minnesota Wild in a blockbuster.

Red Wings acquire:

• Kirill Kaprizov ($4.5 million retained)

Wild acquire:

• Nate Danielson
• Michael Brandsegg-Nygard
• Joe Veleno
• Justin Holl
• 2025 first-round pick
• 2026 first-round pick

The proposed deal would be a blockbuster as Detroit would acquire Kaprizov who is one of the best players in the NHL. However, the Red Wings would part ways with two first-round picks, two prospects, and two NHL players.

Kaprizov is entering the fourth year of his five-year $45 million deal. The star forward would immediately be placed on the Red Wings top line and add some more offense to the lineup. Last season, Kaprizov skated in 75 games recording 46 goals and 50 assists for 96 points.

The big part of the return would be the two first-round picks as well as prospects Nate Danielson and Michael Bradsegg-Nygard. Danielson was selected ninth overall in the 2023 NHL draft and is likely to make his NHL debut next season. Bradsegg-Nygard, meanwhile, was selected 15th overall in the 2024 NHL draft.

Veleno, meanwhile, is a legit NHL player and could help replace Kaprizov. The 24-year-old was selected 30th overall in the 2018 NHL draft. Last season, he skated in 80 games recording 12 goals and 16 assists for 28 points. He’s entering the first year of a two-year $4.55 million deal.

The final player in return is Holl who was sent down to the AHL. The defenseman has two years left on his three-year $10.2 million deal.

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Kaprizov’s Future With The Wild Is Uncertain

With Kaprizov having two years left on his deal, there have been talks about his future.

The superstar forward is eligible to sign an extension on July 1, but NHL insider Elliotte Friedman revealed he isn’t sure if Kaprizov wants to remain in Minnesota.

“Depending on where Minnesota is, both at the deadline and next summer, the results that they have this year,” Friedman said on ’32 Thoughts’. “The fact that these are out there, means there’s going to be a kind of Kaprizov watch going on… They’re on notice, and they’re admittedly on notice. They’re going to have to show him that they’re worth staying with.”

Kaprizov was selected 135th overall in the 2015 NHL draft by the Wild. In his NHL career, he’s skated in 278 games recording 160 goals and 170 assists for 330 points.

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Red Wings Confident They Have a ‘Good Team’

Detroit barely missed out on the playoffs last season and enters the 2024-25 season with expectations of making the postseason.

The Red Wings haven’t made the playoffs since the 2015-16 season. Entering this season, star forward Alex DeBrincat has confidence in the group.

“When we’re working hard, we’re a good team,” DeBrincat said. “There’s stretches when we get away from that. I think we can learn from last year and really buckle in this year. Be focused every game, and you can’t afford to lose any points.”

Detroit will open its 2024-25 NHL season at home on October 10 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

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