The Detroit Red Wings aim to break their playoff drought, and one trade proposal suggests acquiring star forward Pavel Buchnevich from the St. Louis Blues.
Using the PuckGM tool on PuckPedia, a user created a trade scenario where the Red Wings would send an NHL player, a first-round pick, and two second-round picks to St. Louis for Buchnevich. This blockbuster deal would enhance Detroit’s scoring while helping the Blues get younger and gather assets for their rebuild.
Buchnevich is entering the final year of his four-year, $23.2 million contract, but he has already signed a six-year, $42 million extension that starts in the 2025-26 season. This means Detroit would secure him for a total of seven seasons, justifying the high price.
As a potential top-six forward for the Red Wings, Buchnevich would boost their offensive capabilities. Last season, he scored 27 goals and added 36 assists for a total of 63 points in 80 games. Throughout his NHL career, he has played 517 games, scoring 162 goals and recording 239 assists for 401 points.
The proposed trade also includes 24-year-old forward Jonatan Berggren, who could take on a bigger role in St. Louis. Drafted in the second round of the 2018 NHL Draft, Berggren played 12 games last season, scoring 2 goals and 4 assists.
Berggren recently signed a one-year, $825,000 deal as a restricted free agent, one of the final tasks completed by general manager Steve Yzerman. He expressed satisfaction with the one-year arrangement, given the salary cap constraints.
“Considering the salary cap, we probably couldn’t do a two-year deal at this time,” Yzerman explained. “Both sides are comfortable with one year. If Jonatan has a strong season, he’ll be in a good position to renegotiate afterward.”
Despite the one-year deal, Yzerman believes Berggren has the potential to make an impact this season.
“He has a lot of talent,” Yzerman noted. “We were pleased with his performance late last season. It was a challenging year for him, but he worked hard in Grand Rapids, and he looks in great shape for the preseason. He has the skills and hockey sense needed to succeed at the NHL level, and he’ll have a solid opportunity this year.”
The Red Wings will kick off their 2024-25 NHL season at home on October 10 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Meanwhile, Buchnevich recently signed a six-year, $48 million extension with the Blues on July 2.
NHL analyst Jeremy Rutherford from The Athletic praised the Blues for this deal, highlighting its favorable terms. “This is a great contract for the Blues, as they kept Buchnevich’s term to six years instead of the maximum eight, meaning it will end when he’s in his mid-30s. The annual average value is also reasonable for a player who has nearly averaged a point per game in his time in St. Louis,” Rutherford stated.
Buchnevich has been with the Blues since being traded from the New York Rangers in July 2021.
