A veteran in his final year of contract, a mid-range prospect, an additional first-round pick, and a contract extension that makes sense?
That is a decent piece of work to wrap up on a Sunday night by Steve Yzerman to make the Detroit Red Wings seem to be a season finisher group.
Yzerman signed 40-goal scorer Alex DeBrincat less than a week after he said he still wanted to add offensive firepower to cap two busy days of free agency. The Wings got the Farmington Slopes local for Dominik Kubalik, Donovan Sebrango, and a contingent first-round pick and fourth-round pick in 2024.
DeBrincat was imprisoned by the Wings for four years at an annual average cost of $7,875,000.
SHAWN WINDSOR: The Red Wings’ search for Alex DeBrincat is not a panacea. However, it is a step forward.
Let’s look at what the Wings sent to the Senators in Ottawa:
⋅ Kubalik, 27, is entering the last year of the two-year bargain he was endorsed to the previous summer. He had a hot beginning his most memorable season, yet entirely chilled in the final part. He was certainly not a significant component of the rebuild.
In 2020, 21-year-old Sebrango was selected in the third round. This past season, he played for both the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye and the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins, scoring seven points in 39 games each. The Wings’ immediate farm system includes Eemil Viro, Albert Johansson, Simon Edvinsson, William Wallinder, Antti Tuomisto, and Albert Johansson.
⋅ A contingent first-round pick. This is where the exchange that sent Tyler Bertuzzi to the Boston Bruins in Spring is paying off, in light of the fact that the Wings can choose utilizing the Bruins’ first-round pick (which is top-10 secured) or their own.
The compensation. DeBrincat’s compensation cap hit is beneath Dylan Larkin’s $8,700,000 AAV, and holds adaptability for expanding Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond.
Given that the Senators have to persuade their fans that they got a good deal in a deal with a team that is a direct competitor for a playoff spot within the Atlantic Division, it appears to be a lopsided trade in favor of the Wings.
DeBrincat is coming off a bad year, but in 82 games, he scored 27 goals and had 66 points. He scored 41 goals in his second career season with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2021-2022. He gives the Wings the scoring punch they’ve been lacking, making it look like their entire lineup is suddenly more likely to end their seven-year playoff drought. The Wings can now choose from DeBrincat, Larkin, Raymond, David Perron, Robby Fabbri, J.T. Compher and Daniel Sprong, who just signed, and Andrew Copp to form their top two lines. Having a top six that is deeper will benefit the bottom six.
Jakub Vrana’s three years with the Wings were marred by absences (injuries, a stay in the Players Association program) and unfulfilled potential, which are ameliorated by DeBrincat’s arrival. During his six NHL seasons, DeBrincat has only missed four games. He has scored more than 20 goals in five of those seasons, but only 18 in the one in which he did not.
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers are expected to make the playoffs next season in the Atlantic. Despite their record-setting season, the Bruins’ roster has taken a number of hits and appears to be declining. The window for the Tampa Bay Lightning appears to be closing. The Representatives just deducted a 40-objective scorer for Kubalik, who has one 20-objective season the most recent three years. The Bison Sabers have been consistently improving and ought to make the end of the season games one of these years. The Montreal Canadiens are further behind in their reconstruct.
Although mid-July is an awfully early time to start making predictions about the playoffs, Yzerman has provided the Wings with the scorer they needed without sacrificing a top prospect, a first-round pick (they will have either their own or Boston’s next season), or a new contract’s term or money.
With DeBrincat on the program, the Wings evidently look substantially more alluring.