The Detroit Red Wings need to add some firepower to their forward ranks. The additions of James van Riemsdyk, Mason Appleton, Ian Mitchell, and Jacob Bernard-Docker give the team some depth but don’t fully satisfy the requirements for contributing more goals.
Heavy.com proposed a trade that would give the Red Wings solid secondary scoring with the addition of a two-time Stanley Cup Winner, Evan Rodrigues.
Red Wings Acquire:
- Evan Rodrigues ($3 million)
Panthers Acquire:
- Nate Danielson
- Trey Augustine
- 2nd round pick in 2026
What makes this proposal unique is that the Red Wings could add a middle-six winger for the price of two excellent prospects and a second-round pick in a deep draft. Their $12 million cap space gives them the flexibility to afford a player of Rodrigues’ price tag.
Rodrigues is a 32-year-old, undrafted winger for the Florida Panthers. The 5-foot-11, 182 lb forward recorded 32 points in 82 regular season games. He added 15 points in 21 playoff games to help the Panthers secure their second consecutive Stanley Cup against the Edmonton Oilers.
Nate Danielson was the ninth overall selection by the Red Wings in the 2023 draft. The 6-foot-2, 185 lb center spent the 2024-25 season with the Red Wings’ AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins. In 71 games, the 20-year-old accumulated 39 points.
Trey Augustine is a 20-year-old goaltender currently playing for Michigan State in the NCAA. The 6-foot-1, 183 lb player was drafted 41st overall in the same 2023 draft class as Danielson. Augustine was lights out, earning a record of 19-7-4 in 30 games. Additionally, he boasted a 2.08 goals against average (GAA), a .924 save percentage (SV%), and three shutouts.
Red Wings Can Benefit From Panthers Cap Crunch
Winning a championship comes with many benefits. Sadly, it also comes with a few pitfalls. In the case of the Panthers, they are $3.725 million above the cap ceiling.
To alleviate this, at least one player will need to be traded to allow their roster to fit under the cap. NHL insider David Pagnotta reports that Rodrigues is the one who may find himself on the outside looking in.
“Rodrigues might be a casualty of Florida’s salary cap situation,” Pagnotta wrote. “He has two years remaining on his contract and is an attractive asset for another Cup contender if the Panthers opt to move him.”
Three million dollars for a player who has recorded more than 10 goals per season for four straight seasons is a deal NHL GMs should make every day of the week.
Red Wings Open to Adding a Forward
Steve Yzerman does not sit idle. The Red Wings GM is looking to improve his team and could look to the trade market to do that.
“Without going into detail or elaborating, there are a couple teams looking to do some things that we do have some interest in and are possibilities,” Yzerman said. “Something might come up over the summer, for whatever reason, in another organization. What I intend to do, once things settle down here…would be to circle back next week with everyone to see what their plans are for the off-season, if they have any holes to fill, or players, for whatever reason, they want to move.”
The Red Wings had an interest in Dylan Cozens before his trade from the Buffalo Sabres to the Ottawa Senators.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Red Wings Hit Depth Scoring Jackpot With Unique Trade Pitch appeared first on Heavy Sports.