Of course, this would happen. So, Detroit is playing really well right now. They’ve been able to grab a handful of solid wins over solid teams. Personally, beating up the Maple Leafs in a season sweep is oh-so-sweet to me, but beyond that, they’ve been good in Minnesota and Winnipeg as well. So, despite the good times rolling, Simon Edvinsson has gone down with a multi-week injury.

Of course, he would. Detroit plays Colorado on a back-to-back, and I don’t know how much I think anyone is shutting down MacKinnon without Edvinsson playing an integral role. But beyond that, Detroit has needed to make a trade to bolster this roster for some time now.

I love Gibson and I love the way that he’s playing, believe me, he’s been Detroit’s best player for the better part of two months now. But there will be a point where Gibson can’t bail out some of these lacklustre defensive performances.

Detroit might well be fighting a war on two fronts. An unsustainably hot John Gibson keeping goals out and the defence missing one of their most important players suggests that things might go downhill soon. But this isn’t a death sentence; it’s been talked about for a while that Detroit should make a trade. I’ve written about Robert Thomas and Jason Robertson, mostly for clicks, but there are some smaller names that could still go a long way, especially now.

Jamie Oleksiak:

“Alex, please shut up about this,” says anyone who has read my pieces for a while. But honestly, it’s been because Oleksiak is the perfect bottom-four defenceman on any team, especially Detroit. The traits are pretty much perfect, over 250 pounds and an absurd 6’7″ frame, he would be another huge body on Detroit’s blue line.

His time on ice isn’t super impressive right now, at just over 16:45 minutes of time on ice per night. But Detroit has been able to make the most out of a little, look at a guy like Ben Chiarot. With Edvinsson injured, Oleksiak gives you an Edvinsson-lite in almost all ways. A similar size, similar hits and block totals, and they both play the left side. With Edvinsson back, he gives you a great option on the third pair, allowing Albert Johansson to flex back to the right side.

It’s not a surprise that I think Jamie Oleksiak is the perfect trade candidate, but now more than ever, I think that he makes a lot of sense.

Mock Trade:

Kraken Receive: Jacob Bernard-Docker, 2026 2nd round pick, 2027 3rd round pick

Red Wings Receive: Jamie Oleksiak

Simon Benoit:

Similar story to Jamie Oleksiak, but Simon Benoit is another big-bodied defenceman who can be a solid shutdown guy in the right environment. His underlying numbers don’t look great this season, but I think he could be a good pickup for Detroit.

First of all, I love the grit he plays with. Benoit has a lot of balls (pun intended) with how he throws his body around. He’s also not afraid to drop the gloves. If Jamie Oleksiak were a Simon Edvinsson-lite, then Simon Benoit would be a Ben Chiarot-lite.

Toronto is on a fast track to the bottom of the Atlantic, and if their management has any sense at all, they’re going to start selling soon. I think a big-hitting, big-body defenceman that comes at a dirt-cheap 1.4M dollar cap hit is going to be something the Leafs should move off from. Knowing their lack of futures, I think Detroit could give them something decent and be done with it.

Mock Trade:

Maple Leafs Receive: Ondrej Becher, 2026 2nd round pick

Red Wings Receive: Simon Benoit

Logan Stanley:

This is the “big one” of the little deals. Logan Stanley has been thrown around in trade talks for a while now. Stanley ironically sits as a middle ground between Benoit and Oleksiak. He has the size of Oleksiak and has the physicality of Benoit. Stanley also would probably have the highest acquisition cost by a hair.

Offensively, Stanley would be one of Detroit’s best defenceman, despite only getting 16:30 minutes of ice time every game, he managed to put up a solid 8 goals and 9 assists for 17 points. There’s a lot to like about Stanley, especially in the absence of Simon Edvinsson. It feels as though this is the exact kind of player that Detroit would want both now and in the near future.

It would give the team some flexibility about potentially not re-signing Ben Chiarot if the experiment works out well. I could see him being the type of player Yzerman is in on because of how well he fits the construct of the team.

Mock Trade:

Jets Receive: 2026 2nd round pick, 2028 3rd round pick

Red Wings Receive: Logan Stanley

Wrap Up:

I know I’ve spoken about Faulk briefly, and so have a lot of other Red Wings writers, but I wanted to focus a little bit more on the left side, seeing as it was the more pressing matter at the moment. I will say Albert Johansson has looked a lot better since breaking through for a goal, and I do have a bit more trust in him during this period if Detroit doesn’t make a move.

The truth is, something has to happen at some point for this team. Nuclear trade or not, I just want to see some proof that Yzerman has some faith in the product he’s putting out onto the ice.

More to Read:

Discover more from Inside The Rink

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.