Alex DeBrincat is on the trading block.
DeBrincat is entering his final year as a restricted free agent and has told his current team, the Ottawa Senators, that he won't re-sign on a long-term deal. The Senators have some options, but the most likely outcome is that they’ll move DeBrincat in the coming days for a big return.
One frontrunner is Detroit, which seems like a natural landing spot for DeBrincat, who grew up in the state of Michigan rooting for the Red Wings.
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The Red Wings made room earlier this week by placing former first-round pick Filip Zadina on unconditional waivers — likely after Ottawa rejected him in a trade package.
Four years into a full-scale rebuild and not much to show for it, the Red Wings now have both the assets and the cap space to make a realistic trade for a goal-scorer who can help end a seven-year postseason drought.
The New York Islanders, though, might be standing in their way with a reasonable offer that could include Jean-Gabriel Pageau if they’re able to move other assets to create enough cap space to sign DeBrincat to an extension. This might be too complicated for the Islanders to pull off, though.
Unfortunately for Blackhawks fans, it seems more likely than not that DeBrincat will be in a Red Wings sweater next season.