The Detroit Red Wings have two goalie prospects developing in their system but could benefit from a proven No. 1 starter for the next year or two until they are NHL-ready.
Meanwhile, PuckPedia’s PuckGM tool, which allows users to create their own trade scenarios, recently featured a proposal suggesting the Red Wings trade Alex DeBrincat to the Columbus Blue Jackets as part of an offseason deal.
Red Wings acquire:
Elvis Merzlikins
2025 first-round pick
2026 fifth-round pick
Blue Jackets acquire:
Alex DeBrincat
Noah Dower Nilsson (signing rights)
This proposed trade would be a major shake-up, with the Red Wings acquiring a proven goaltender and two draft picks—including a valuable first-rounder—in exchange for a top prospect and an All-Star forward.
For Detroit, adding Elvis Merzļikins would provide a reliable No. 1 goaltender for next season. With two years remaining on his five-year, $27 million contract, he would serve as a bridge starter until young prospects Sebastian Cossa and Trey Augustine are ready to take over. This season, Merzļikins has posted a 23-19-5 record with a 3.03 goals-against average (GAA) and a .896 save percentage (SV%).
Columbus, in return, would land Alex DeBrincat, a high-scoring forward who could instantly boost the Blue Jackets’ offense. Currently in the second season of a four-year, $31.5 million contract, DeBrincat has tallied 33 goals and 29 assists for 62 points this year. He would likely step into a first-line role for Columbus.
The Blue Jackets would also receive prospect Dower Nilsson, a 2023 third-round pick who is currently developing in Sweden and has yet to sign an NHL contract. His addition provides Columbus with a promising young forward for the future.
Red Wings Unsure of Goalie Market in Offseason
Detroit currently lacks a clear No. 1 goaltender but addressed the position at the trade deadline by acquiring Petr Mrazek. Both Mrazek and Cam Talbot are under contract beyond this season, giving the Red Wings some stability in net.
Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman explained the Mrazek trade by noting the uncertainty surrounding this summer’s goalie market.
“It’s a strange time in the NHL for goaltenders,” Yzerman said after the trade deadline. “The people that played with and were here in the organization when Petr was here early in his career really support him, the person, and his competitiveness. It’s up and down around the League. We look at goals-against averages and save percentage of the goaltenders, and it’s a bit all over the place. One thing that was also attractive to us is he’s signed for another season. And the goalie market right now, looking into the summer, what goalies are signing for, the term and the dollar amounts, for what our options were today and what our options might be in the offseason, we thought it was good insurance for us.”
However, if Detroit were to acquire a goaltender like Elvis Merzļikins in a trade, the team would likely have no trouble moving either Talbot or Mrazek to a club in need of goaltending help.
Merzlikins Previously Requested a Trade
Despite being Columbus’ starting goaltender, Elvis Merzļikins has expressed frustration with the Blue Jackets in the past.
During the 2023-24 season, he requested a trade, a stance that carried into the offseason. However, Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell was skeptical about the possibility of moving Merzļikins due to his contract.
“Let’s be honest, nobody is going to trade for that contract. Nobody,” Waddell told The Athletic. “People say, ‘Well, why don’t you buy out the contract?’ It’s a six-year buyout, and there are years three, four, five, and six, when you might need that cap space. So you’ve eliminated those two options.”
However, after an improved performance this season, Merzļikins may now be a more attractive trade asset, making it easier for Columbus to find a potential suitor.
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