What we’ve learned about Steve Yzerman is that just because there is no chatter about a possible Detroit Red Wings trade doesn’t mean he isn’t close to making one.
Most of the deals Yzerman has made in his career seemed to come out of nowhere.
Logic tells us that Yzerman is looking for a top-four defenseman and a top-six forward, preferably a center. With the March 6 deadline now nine days away, let’s take another look at some of the defensemen who are considered possible trade targets for Detroit:
St. Louis Blues Defenseman Justin Faulk
Faulk is a good fit for the Red Wings because he’s a two-way defenseman who can help on both sides of the puck. The Red Wings want a defenseman who can help bolster an offense that sometimes struggles to score five-on-five.
Right-shot Faulk, 33, already has 11 goals this season. Yzerman and St. Louis GM Doug Armstrong have plenty of history in making deals. But their relation may not help because a handful of teams are interested. A bidding war is possible.
Recent chatter suggests that Atlantic Division rival Boston is making a significant push to land Faulk, who has another season remaining on a contract with a $6.5 million salary cap hit. The Utah Mammoth and Montreal Canadiens are also interested. He has a no-trade clause, but it’s presumed he will waive it to go to a playoff team.
The cost for Faulk will be, at the least, a first-round pick, a conditional second-round pick and a top prospect.
Calgary Flames Defenseman MacKenzie Weegar
The negative of acquiring right-shot Weegar is that he is signed for five seasons beyond this one. He will be 37 when his contract expires in 2030-31. But he can handle a ton of minutes. He has averaged more than 21 minutes per game in his career. Weegar can have a stabilizing impact on the blue line group.
Philadelphia Flyers Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen
The big Finnish defenseman has a rising trade value because he was a strong performer for the bronze-medal-winning Finnish team at the 2026 Olympics. He was playing 21 or 22 minutes per game for the Flyers before the Olympics.
At the Olympics, he was tied for the tournament lead with a plus-nine plus-minus. He’s 6-foot-4, 215 pounds and he has a physical side to his game.
New York Rangers Defenseman Braden Schneider
Schneider is an intriguing possibility because he’s only 24 and his development is still on an upward trajectory. He was playing top-pairing minutes going into the Olympic break. His salary cap hit is only $2.2 million. But he will be a restricted free agent this summer.
