Finally, the Detroit Red Wings were buyers at the trade deadline. They had clear needs and, at the very least, found a solution for one.
In all, the Red Wings completed three trades:
Today, we’ll dive into what these trades mean, plus touch upon other discussions the Red Wings had in the days leading up to the deadline.
Red Wings’ 2026 Trade Deadline Moves
The headliner here is Justin Faulk, who immediately slots into Detroit’s second pair. The Red Wings went big-game hunting and landed one of the top blueliners available.
Expect Faulk to quarterback Detroit’s second power play unit, too. There, he’ll be able to set up Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Marco Kasper with quality looks on the flanks.
Overall, the veteran strengthens Detroit’s defense and is expected to anchor the second pairing through the end of 2027. Having previously logged top-pairing minutes in St. Louis, he could very well thrive in a slightly more sheltered role behind Simon Edvinsson and Moritz Seider. He’ll need to do exactly that to justify the steep acquisition cost, though.
Up front, David Perron effectively replaces Elmer Soderblom, who the Red Wings had been trying to move for some time. It was clear that Soderblom was on the outside looking in, and now he’ll get a fresh start in Pittsburgh.
Perron gets a fresh start of sorts, too. The fit in Ottawa wasn’t perfect, and he’ll return to an organization where he had a big impact from 2022 to 2024.
“His care level is just really high,” Seider told reporters Friday. “He always thinks about the guy next to him, never puts himself on the first position, and that’s something we really admire and appreciate.”
Related: 2026 NHL Trade Deadline Tracker
It’s clear that Perron’s acquisition had as much to do with culture as it did with on-ice performance. That said, his edge, board play, and timely scoring are a boost over what Soderblom was able to produce this season.
Other Red Wings Trade Discussions
Let’s start from the beginning. At this point, we all know that Tyler Myers opted to exercise his no-trade clause when Detroit presented the Vancouver Canucks with an offer. According to a source, said offer was Soderblom. This tracks with Soderblom’s absence from the lineup in the days leading up to the deadline.
Detroit also had discussions with the Canucks about Elias Pettersson. But, according to a source, Vancouver was not willing to retain salary – something teams had been demanding. That said, the Canucks want to revisit Pettersson talks with the Red Wings in the offseason, so this is far from dead.
In addition, Detroit engaged with Nashville and made an offer for Michael Bunting, but the Dallas Stars ultimately put forth a better deal. Not long after, the Red Wings brought back Perron – clearly they were looking for someone who can agitate and score.
Finally, there was interest in Vincent Trocheck, Robert Thomas, Rasmus Ristolainen, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. As I said earlier, the Red Wings went big-game hunting in the days leading up to the trade deadline. Discussing these players indicates that.
Final Word
While the Red Wings upgraded their blue line, the overall impact to the offensive side of the game was a little lackluster. Adding a top-six forward would have been a game-changer for the organization as they seek to snap their playoff drought, especially if Dylan Larkin misses time.
