The Next Two Superstar Defensemen to Chase

Harry Scull Jr,/Buffalo News

Well, I get it. As Wings fans, we’re all sad that a top-five defenseman, who is also the captain of an underperforming team, didn’t go to us. But what if I told you there were two that we could be chasing? I know I made the joke about losing journalistic integrity during the Hughes talk, and this is one step further, but what if there are two teams in similar scenarios that would require similar packages? 

Rasmus Dahlin:

So Buffalo is bad again, shocker. But Detroit could really use the help of Rasmus Dahlin for their blueline. Dahlin isn’t a one-to-one comparison to Hughes, but they’re pretty damn similar. Both of them are two-way defensemen who play the left side and are on teams that are at the bottom of their division. 

Mock Trade:

Detroit Receives: Rasmus Dahlin

Buffalo Receives: Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Sebastian Cossa, Nate Danielson + 2026 2nd

So this return is less than what Hughes got. That’s because Dahlin is not as good as Hughes. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, I think this deal works for both sides. Buffalo gets Sandin-Pellikka and rolls the dice on him being an elite offensive Swedish defenseman; they get their answer now and in the future in net, and also add a middle-six centre to their rotation. 

Zach Werenski for Columbus | Photo: Hector Urcia | Inside The Rink

Zach Werenski:

What if I told you there was another defenseman who was the captain of an underperforming team who also had connections to Michigan? Seeing as it is mentioned frequently during games, Larkin and Werenski are very close friends. That might be enough of a connection to bring him to Detroit. Werenski has actually been better than Hughes and Dahlin this season, and yet again, plays the left side. 

Mock Trade:

Detroit Receives: Zach Werenski

Columbus Receives: Simon Edvinsson, Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, Carter Bear + 2026 1st

It’s a haul. This one includes Edvinsson instead of ASP because Columbus would need help on the left side pretty badly with a Werenski trade. They also have better centre depth than Buffalo or Vancouver does, so Detroit would have to make it up by giving them some support on the wing. 

It’s no surprise I’m slipping into insanity with the hopes that a franchise-level piece is going to make its way to Detroit. But with the market set, it is at least worth entertaining the conversations once again. 

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