The Detroit Red Wings could be in an interesting position at the moment. The club’s surplus of veteran defensemen could lead the club to take advantage of teams looking for help on the blue line.
One defenseman who could be drawing some attention at the moment is Erik Gustafsson. The 33-year-old vet has played one game for the Red Wings this season. He started the year with the club, but quickly found himself in Grand Rapids amid the emergence of rookie Axel Sandin-Pellikka.
Gustafsson, along with Justin Holl, has been a good soldier. They’ve been biding their time, waiting for a potential deal to come along. For Gustafsson, that time may be now. In the latest edition of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, insider Elliotte Friedman discussed the New York Rangers’ need for another blueliner following Adam Fox’s injury.
As Christopher Moore noted in this piece, the Rangers are looking into what’s out there. In particular, the onus is on a replacement for Fox on the power play. Now, to be clear, this situation isn’t about replacing Fox entirely. It’s about finding a placeholder until Fox returns from injury.
That being said, the Red Wings could cash in on the familiarity between the Rangers and Gustafsson. The Swedish defenseman played 76 games on Broadway during the 2023-24 season. He racked up six goals and 31 points before signing a free-agent deal with the Red Wings.
Unfortunately for Gustafsson, the Wings’ prospect pipeline has squeezed him out of a role. Beyond Sandin-Pellikka, Albert Johansson, Simon Edvinsson, and offseason signing Jacob Bernard-Docker all passed him on the depth chart.
What Red Wings Could Fetch for Gustafsson
The most valuable thing the Detroit Red Wings could get out of trading Gustafsson is cap space. The veteran blueliner is in the final year of a two-year, $4 million deal. Since he’s in the AHL, Detroit saves about $1.2 million on his current cap hit.
Now, it’s not that the Red Wings necessarily need to clear cap space right now. But it wouldn’t hurt to get out from under Gustafsson’s cap hit.
The Red Wings could also land a late-round pick in return. Something along the lines of a sixth or seventh-rounder may be enough to move the needle. Then again, the Wing may look at the Rangers’ roster and pluck some lesser-known prospect.
There are various ways of getting something of value in return for Gustafsson.
Gustafsson Could Get Another Shot at NHL
Heading back to New York could be the best thing to happen to Erik Gustafsson at this point. His career is languishing in Grand Rapids. Spending the rest of the season there could affect his chances of getting another NHL contract next summer.
So, heading to the Rangers could revive Gustafsson’s career. Perhaps it could mean sticking in New York beyond this season or landing one more contract. While Friedman underscored that nothing is imminent, it would be shocking not to see the Rangers and Red Wings pull off this trade.
Neither side has anything to lose. It would be a no-brainer and an easy trade to complete before the roster freeze later this month.
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