The Detroit Red Wings are actively evaluating their roster and exploring potential trades to bolster their team for the remainder of the season. Here's a breakdown of the latest rumors and player updates surrounding the team:
Injury Updates
Red Wings Head Coach Todd McLellan told reporters that Patrick Kane will be out until after Christmas due to an upper-body injury. Kane last played on December 13 against his former Blackhawks, managing to finish the contest despite injury, but has been absent for the team’s last four games since, in which they’ve managed to win three.
The Athletic’s Max Bultman reported that Detroit Red Wings veteran Patrick Kane “tweaked something” upper-body during Detroit’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks, and is out for at least the next two games. Kane, a future Hall of Fame winger, is a key offensive producer for the Red Wings. He has 23 points in 24 games this season and as one might expect plays a significant role on the club’s power play.
The Red Wings slotted John Leonard into Kane’s vacated second-line right winger role, per MLive’s Ansar Khan. Leonard was an AHL All-Star last season and has scored 19 goals and 29 points in 20 games for the Grand Rapids Griffins this year.
Player Activation and Roster Moves
The Detroit Red Wings have activated forward Mason Appleton off of injured reserve. Appleton hasn’t played since sustaining a lower-body injury on November 29th. Appleton returned to the lineup in Sunday’s overtime win over the Washington Capitals. He recorded one shot and two hits, while serving alongside Elmer Soderblom and Nate Danielson on the fourth-line. The Red Wings will continue to ease Appleton back into his hard-nosed role with four games left on the schedule in 2025.
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Appleton has filled a bottom-six role in his first year with the Detroit Red Wings. He has nine points, 22 penalty minutes, and 28 hits through 26 games. Only two Red Wings forwards - Marco Kasper and Dylan Larkin, who have each played nine more games than Appleton - have been penalized more. Appleton carved out that depth, grinder role across the last four seasons with the Winnipeg Jets. He typically held close to 20 points a season, but grew to 14 goals and 36 points in a career year during the 2023-24 season.
The Red Wings announced that winger Mason Appleton has been placed on injured reserve, retroactive to Nov. 29, with a lower-body injury. Appleton is already eligible to come off IR after missing at least seven days. He was only ticketed for a seven-to-10-day absence initially, so he’s already behind schedule and shouldn’t miss too much more time as a result.
Appleton’s two-year, $5.8MM deal is the largest contract Detroit handed out to an external unrestricted free agent last offseason. The longtime Jets forward was brought in as a bottom-six fixture but has been deployed more as a top-nine piece, skating most of the time with some mix of Nate Danielson, Alex DeBrincat, and Marco Kasper. They’ll no doubt be looking for smoother two-way play from him on the other side of this injury.
Waiver Claims and Departures
The Blues have claimed winger Jonatan Berggren off waivers from the Red Wings, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. The team moved center Nick Bjugstad to injured reserve to open up a roster spot for him, per Matthew DeFranks of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
When Detroit waived Berggren yesterday, the motivations weren’t clear. They might have been attempting to open a roster spot for Mason Appleton to come off injured reserve, or the Wings simply may have been looking to give the fourth-year Swede a fresh start elsewhere. Once a standout who led Sweden’s top junior league in scoring in his draft year, Berggren cracked the Wings’ lineup for the first time in 2022-23.
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He’s been a fairly efficient depth scorer ever since, averaging a 15-16-31 scoring line per 82 games despite averaging under 13 minutes of ice time, but had seen his role slashed in Detroit this year. There’s long been optimism about what Berggren’s production could look like if given an expanded role. The 25-year-old may now get that chance on a decimated Blues team that’s missing three of its top four wingers in Dylan Holloway, Jordan Kyrou, and Jimmy Snuggerud.
In claiming Berggren, the Blues are on the hook for his $1.825MM cap hit for the remainder of the season. Bjugstad has already missed three games with an upper-body injury, which he sustained seven days ago on Dec. 9 against the Bruins. As such, he’s eligible to come off IR at any time.
The Red Wings placed winger Jonatan Berggren on waivers Monday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. Berggren has been a frequent healthy scratch this season after he made a career-high 75 appearances last season. The 25-year-old has only played 15 of Detroit’s 33 games and has been in the lineup just once since Nov.
Defensive deficiencies and a lack of physicality have long kept the 5’11” Berggren from advancing higher in the Wings’ lineup. However, he’s always made the most of his limited minutes offensively. He’s kept up that reputation in 2025-26 despite increased role instability. His six points in those 15 outings are good for 0.40 points per game, eighth on the team.
Now, the 2018 second-rounder lands on waivers for the first time in his career and could have a new home as soon as tomorrow. Berggren is making $1.825MM this season as part of a one-year extension he signed shortly before free agency opened.
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Potential Trade Targets
Following up on his report from Saturday Headlines, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman has reported on another team that has spoken to the Vancouver Canucks regarding a potential trade for star defenseman Quinn Hughes. Like his update linking Hughes to the New Jersey Devils, it doesn’t appear anything is imminent with the Red Wings, either.
About New Jersey, Friedman said, “I do not believe there is anything imminent. I don’t even know that they’re anywhere far along. This isn’t the first report linking the Red Wings to Hughes, although it is the first confirming that the interest is legitimate. Additionally, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period suggested that Lucas Raymond would be of the most interest to the Canucks.
For what it’s worth, although he didn’t mention a specific name, Friedman believes that if they were to move Hughes, Vancouver would only trade him unless a prominent center was coming back, which would make Edvinsson or Raymond a non-starter.
Much like it would be for any team, acquiring a consistent Norris Trophy candidate such as Hughes would be a franchise-altering move for the Red Wings. Regardless, whether it be with Detroit or New Jersey, it doesn’t appear that the Canucks are close to trading Hughes or even firmly entertaining the idea.
The Red Wings are pleased with the way Andrew Copp is playing, but he’s not the long-term solution at No. 2 center. If they could land a No. 2 center in a trade, Copp could go to No. 3 center.
Potential Candidates
- Nazem Kadri seems like the ideal candidate. He has 31 points in 37 games this season. He has a 13-team no-trade clause. The issue in going after Kadri is he’s 35 and has three years left on a contract paying him $7 million per season.
- The Red Wings have also been mentioned in connection with Ryan O’Reilly, 34, a veteran center who is dependable offensive player, superb in the faceoff and a responsible defensive perfomer. He’s enjoying another quality offensive season with 31 points in 36 games.
The Red Wings could also be looking for another scorer for the third line. Teams are waiting to see who falls out of the race for that category, and that could take a while.
Other NHL Rumblings
- San Jose: Pierre LeBrun has linked the Sharks to a possible trade for Yegor Chinakhov of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Stay tuned for more updates as the trade deadline approaches and the Red Wings look to solidify their roster for a playoff push.