What Red Wings’ lines might look like to start 2024-25

Following a flurry of summer transactions by general manager Steve Yzerman, the Detroit Red Wings’ line combinations no longer look to be the jigsaw puzzle they were last year.

They will enter the 2024-25 season with only two new forwards (Vladimir Tarasenko and Tyler Motte) and one player promoted from the Grand Rapids Griffins (Jonatan Berggren), barring any additional movements, injuries, or a preseason surprise.

Rangers’ botching of Trouba trade talks led to the Red Wings decision.

The New York Rangers’ botched trade talks with Jacob Trouba resulted in major decisions for the Detroit Red Wings.

Neil Smith, a former NHL general manager (for both the New York Rangers and the Islanders), recently spoke out on the ongoing conflict between Jacob Trouba and the Rangers during an appearance on the Hockey Night NY podcast. Smith expressed his disbelief at the Rangers’ handling of the situation, particularly the public nature of trade negotiations. According to Smith, the Rangers’ lack of discretion may have compromised their preparations for a trade with the Detroit Red Wings.

Smith went on: “The thing that I’m surprised about in that situation is to allow this to happen, and to allow it to happen publicly.” He disclosed that when Trouba and his team learned of the Rangers’ interest in transferring him to the Red Wings, they acted immediately to thwart the transaction. It’s unclear how much of that was due to fear of being relocated to Detroit or because the Rangers leaked that their captain could be traded.

The Rangers Should Have Maintained Trade Talks About Trouba Smith argued that the Rangers’ excessive trade discussion was detrimental to their success. He noted:

The consequences of this negligence could be significant for the Rangers. These events may affect Trouba’s connection with the team, as he is the team captain and a prominent influence in the locker room. Smith highlighted the potential impact on Trouba’s performance, stating, “Now you’ve got some muddy waters with maybe the most important guy on your team, the captain, the guy with the most influence in the locker room.” It is something they will have to deal with.

The Rangers may have jeopardized their own efforts to move Jacob Trouba by failing to keep their intentions private, potentially leading to internal conflict and hurting team dynamics. It is unclear how Trouba will respond or whether he will accept a trade somewhere.