Trade Pitch has Red Wings trading DeBrincata to division rival

The Detroit Red Wings are a fringe playoff team, but one trade allowed them to create a blockbuster with a division rival.

Website PuckPedia’s PuckGM tool allows users to create their own trades. One user suggested a deal that would see the Red Wings trade Alex DeBrincat to the Buffalo Sabers.

Red Wings acquire:

Sabers are purchased:

The proposed deal would be a blockbuster and shake up the rosters of both teams.

Detroit will acquire Peterka, who is 22 and in the final year of his three-year entry-level contract. Peterka was selected in the second round of the 2020 NHL Draft, and the German has become an important forward for Buffalo. Peterka had 28 goals and 22 assists for 50 points in 82 games last season as he currently serves as the Sabres’ second-line left winger.

In the meantime, Greenway could add some grit and physicality to the Red Wings lineup. The 6-foot-6 forward is in the final year of his three-year, $9 million contract and could be an ideal third-line forward for Detroit. Greenway can add some scoring at the end of the lineup, but also add some size and physicality.

In exchange, Detroit would make a deal with DeBrincat, who would bolster the Sabres’ offense. The forward is in the second year of his four-year, $31.5 million contract. DeBrincat had 27 goals and 40 assists for 67 points for Detroit last season and will be the top player in Buffalo.

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Red Wings brace for slow start

The reason the proposed deal makes sense is simply to make roster changes.

Detroit failed to make the playoffs last season and is 4-5-1 as of November 1st. It’s been a slow start and coach Derek Lalonde wants his team to take a step forward.

“Obviously, sitting here, we’ve been a .500 team for pretty much all 10 games,” Detroit head coach Derek Lalonde said. “One up, one down. Two for starters. You worry about your team and focus internally on yourself, but you look around and see that the division has not gone away. The (Eastern) Conference is here to stay. I hope and expect some equality.”

The Red Wings haven’t made the playoffs since the 2015-16 season, so the proposed deal would make changes to the core group. And maybe that will be enough to spur the team into action and end this season’s playoff drought.

“We would like to achieve some kind of 60-minute consistency,” Lalonde added. “When you look at it from above, sometimes it looks really good, but not always. This is what we are struggling with. All 12 (forwards) and six (defenders). The first 10 games are hard to read, perhaps we feel what our record is, but there are signs that it is good.

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Peterka plays key role for Sabers

Peterka has been an important player for Buffalo this season.

The former second-round pick plays over 20 minutes a night for the Sabers and plays on the team’s best power play unit.

Peterka has 4 goals and 4 assists for 8 points in 9 games this season. The German forward is a key forward for Buffalo, but the proposed deal would give the Sabers a bona fide star forward in DeBrincat.

The Sabers haven’t made the playoffs since the 2010–11 season.

Cole Shelton covers the NHL for Heavy.com. He has covered professional and collegiate sports since 2016, including assignments with BJ Penn, USA Today, SB Nation, Rotowire, Canadian Baseball Network and others. More about Cole Shelton