After four years of being a seller as general manager of the Detroit Red Wings, and then one where he basically stood pat, Steve Yzerman is in position to be a buyer.
Under coach Todd McLellan, the Wings surged from second from the bottom in the Eastern Conference all the way to the East’s first wild-card spot, only to drop back out in a crowded group of playoff hopefuls.
Since emerging from the Four Nations Face-Off break on Feb. 22, the Wings have lost second-line center Andrew Copp to season-ending shoulder surgery. At the start of February, defenseman Jeff Petry underwent surgery for an undisclosed injury; the recovery time was 6-8 weeks.
That leaves the Wings in sore need of a depth defenseman, with the additional pressure to address the center spot. J.T. Compher has moved up into Copp’s spot, and with Michael Rasmussen cleared after missing four games dealing with a blow to the head, the Wings may decide they can get by in that area. They have around $12 million in salary cap space.
Here are the latest live updates, news, and analysis from the Red Wings and the 2025 NHL trade deadline ahead of Friday’s 3 p.m. ET cutoff. Curated by Helene St. James, longtime Red Wings beat writer for the Detroit Free Press.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
ANALYSIS: Steve Yzerman gathers NHL aides as Red Wings focus on re-entering playoff picture
Red Wings recall Dominik Shine from Grand Rapids Griffins
With Joe Veleno traded to Chicago, and Carter Mazur placed on Injured Reserve after sustaining an upper-body injury two shifts into his debut Thursday, the Wings were down to 11 forwards. That led them to call up Dominik Shine, a 31-year-old who made his NHL debut in January. He registered one assist in four appearances.
Red Wings trade Joe Veleno, bring back Petr Mrazek
With about 45 minutes to go before the deadline, there has been a trade: The Wings have acquired goaltender Petr Mrazek, a former Wings draft pick and player, and forward Craig Smith from the Blackhawks for Joe Veleno.
One hour to go, still nothing from the Wings
The deadline is an hour away, at 3 p.m. Eastern, and the Wings remain quiet. Bear in mind, trades still get announced past the deadline, as they cleared by the league. So long as the paper work has been filed in time, announcements can come out past 3 p.m.
Atlantic Division rivals swap key players
It can be tough to trade within the division because few teams want to make a rival better, but the Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Sabres found common ground in a multi-asset swap. The key players involved were center Dylan Cozens, who went from Buffalo to Ottawa, and Oxford’s Josh Norris, also a center, who the Senators sent to the Sabres. Incidentally, the Wings play at Ottawa on Monday – and host the Sabres on Wednesday.
Capitals make acquisition
The Capitals made a trade to acquire forward Anthony Beauvillier the Pittsburgh Penguins, for a second-round pick in 2025. That further bolsters a Capitals team that already is near the top of the NHL with a 3.58 goals-per-game average. Beauvillier has 20 points (13 goals, seven assists) in 63 games this season.
A quiet morning for Wings in Washington
The Wings aren’t holding a morning skate, common practice after having played the night before. It’s around 11 a.m., and so far there’s been no word from Wings Hockey Ops on a call-up – McLellan indicated after the team lost Carter Mazur to an upper-body injury that might happen, but they do still have 12 forwards available, provided everyone else who played Thursday is available in Washington.
Once past the deadline, teams are limited to four call-ups the rest of the season, with exemptions for emergencies.
It’s the day of the deadline, and Wings have lost 4 straight
On my way to Washington bright and early this morning, for the evening’s game against the Capitals. The Wings departed last night, after their 4-2 loss to the Utah Hockey Club. That was the Wings’ fourth straight loss in regulation they’ve been stuck at 66 points for over a week now, and as Dylan Larkin said, that’s not going to get them into the playoffs.
Yzerman and his inner circle – senior advisor Nicklas Lidstrom, assistant GMs Kris Draper & Shawn Horcoff, pro scout Kirk Maltby and others – have been meeting for the last couple days at Little Caesars Arena, and will gather there again today.
“The organization will do whatever it can to make the team better,” McLellan said. “It’s not just a short term look. It’s looking at the group as a whole and can we find players that fit our team better, can we find players that will make us better now, can we find players that will help us with chemistry. That’s talked about all the time.”
Wings waive, wave goodbye to, Christian Fischer
Christian Fischer was claimed by Columbus Blue Jackets. The Wings put the 27-year-old forward on waivers Wednesday, when he pretty much became obsolete after Michael Rasmussen was cleared to return from a blow to the head, and with the plan to call up 2021 draft pick Carter Mazur.
Fischer was in his second season with the Wings, and had seven points and a minus-5 rating. He was on a one-year deal.
Red Wings calling up Carter Mazur
The Wings called up 2021 third-round draft pick Carter Mazur on Thursday morning, so he’ll be available to make his debut in the evening game against the Utah Hockey Club.
Carter, who turns 23 on March 28, plays a gritty, two-way game that, if he can translate his AHL success (seven points his last six games) to the NHL level, could help the Wings with their playoff aspirations.
Wednesday’s moves
The Wings placed forward Christian Fischer on waivers. The 27-year-old has had a disappointing year — he’s not counted on for offense, but even so, seven points in 45 games comes on the heels of 19 points in 79 games last season. He just hasn’t delivered the same energy that marked his performances a year ago. If he clears, the Wings can send him to the minors.
The Wings also acquired a conditional 2025 fourth-round pick by being the conduit in a multi-player trade between the Seattle Kraken and the first team Yzerman managed, the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Wings will receive the better selection between the Lightning’s pick or the Edmonton Oilers‘ pick.
THE FIRST STEP? Red Wings make complicated trade to bring back conditional fourth-round pick
What are players saying
Exactly what you’d expect them to say: That they believe in what they have. “”I’ll always take those odds for ourselves,” defenseman Moritz Seider said. “I like to bet on ourselves because I think we can believe in each other, we can trust in each other, and hopefully in the end, we send a positive message that this is a good team.”
Seider’s defense partner, Ben Chiarot, said that, “If you’re a team looking to fill some needs, you’re hopeful of adding something. But chemistry is an important thing, and you want to have that going into the playoffs.”
HAVE FAITH? Todd McLellan: Steve Yzerman believes in Red Wings at NHL trade deadline
Don’t expect the cavalry
McLellan said earlier this week that Wings players “shouldn’t expect the cavalry” to come to their rescue. It’s not like he wouldn’t like more players — he suggested after the game that Gordie Howe and Bobby Orr would be nice (and that was with Yzerman and Nicklas Lidström in attendance at Little Caesars Arena) — but McLellan’s point was the players already on the roster are the ones who determine how well the Wings fare the rest of the regular season.
Contact Helene St. James at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her latest book, “The Franchise: Detroit Red Wings, A Curated History of the Red Wings,” was released October 2024. Her books, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” and “The Big 50: The Men and Moments that made the Detroit Red Wings” are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.
