The Detroit Red Wings have remained quiet early in the offseason. With the 2025 Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers nearing its end, however, this could change soon. One potential move the Red Wings could make is a trade for Dallas Stars forward Mason Marchment.
Marchment joined the Stars in 2022 as an unrestricted free agent. He got off to a slow start, struggling in his first season in Texas. However, he has come into his own over the last two seasons. The Stars forward has 44 goals and 100 points across 143 regular-season games in that span.
However, Dallas is in a salary cap crunch. They have a little under $5 million available to them heading into NHL Free Agency on July 1. This is an issue considering their need to re-sign the likes of Matt Duchene and Mikael Granlund.
As a result, Marchment and his $4.5 million salary could be on the trade block. With this in mind, the Red Wings could make their move. The following trade idea is one that could work out well for both sides.
Detroit Red Wings acquire: Mason Marchment
Dallas Stars acquire: Jonatan Berggren and a 2026 third-round pick
Why Mason Marchment Fits Red Wings
Steph Chambers/Getty ImagesDallas Stars forward Mason Marchment is an ideal trade target for the Detroit Red Wings.
Detroit has missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of the last nine seasons. The Red Wings have come close over the last few seasons. However, they have collapsed late in the year, ending whatever playoff push they mounted.
One criticism against Detroit is that they aren’t difficult to play against. Some consider this team rather soft. Head coach Todd McLellan openly criticized the team’s lack of desire to get into passing and shooting lanes, or do dirty work on the ice.
“We talk about wanting to be in the playoffs, but we’re not sure we always want to be in shooting lanes,” McLellan told the media after a late March loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, via MLive reporter Ansar Khan. “We’re not sure we want to do some things. And I’m not saying everybody.
“Do we really want to do it around the net? Do we really want to get hit by a puck? Do we want to do the board work when it’s hard? If the answer is yes to that from everybody, then we have a chance. If the answer is yes to those questions from 85 percent of the players, we don’t. We got to keep asking those questions and working on it.”
Marchment has no issues doing what McLellan is asking. He has recorded 100+ hits on two occasions. And he was on pace for 104 hits in 2024-25 had he played a whole 82 games. Combine his physical presence with his offensive production and he makes a ton of sense as a Red Wings trade target this summer.
Why This Trade Works For Stars
The Stars get out of Marchment’s $4.5 million cap hit, which is a big help. This allows them to sign at least one of Granlund or Duchene this summer. Moreover, it prevents them from trading 25-year-old star Jason Robertson to create cap space.
Dallas is taking a hit on the return for a few reasons. First, Marchment is a rental for the Red Wings at this stage. Additionally, any team looking to acquire the soon-to-be 30-year-old knows that he is a cap casualty for the Stars. This is going to dampen what they can get in return.
Still, they get a young player in Berggren who has some room for growth. He projects as a bottom-six offensive option at the NHL level. He is a restricted free agent, but he shouldn’t cost too much more than league minimum to re-sign. They also get a third-round pick in next year’s draft, which could be a rather deep one, to use as they please.
The Stars are making a hard call in trading Marchment, who is an effective top-six forward. However, they are contending for the Stanley Cup. And sometimes teams have to make some hard calls in order to claim the NHL’s ultimate prize.
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