Duffer’s Dabbles: Could Red Wings Trade For A Goalie?

The Detroit Red Wings will be looking hard at the NHL’s crop of UFA goalies. They’ll also be pondering when to draft a goalie, perhaps even spending one of their two first-round picks on a netminder.

They could also opt to trade for help between the posts. There’s an interesting dynamic at work in the first round of the 2021 NHL entry draft that could set up nicely for a Red Wings-Columbus Blue Jackets deal.

Columbus owns picks 5, 24 and 30. The Wings are slotted in at No. 6 and No. 22. Let’s suppose the Wings offer a flip of No. 22 for No. 24. As well, they toss in one of their three second-round picks. In return, the Blue Jackets, who are overloaded between the pipes, also move goalie Elvis Merzlikins to Detroit. It probably won’t happen, but it’s not like it’s a crazy idea, either.

• PHN: A year ago, Toronto Maple Leafs fans couldn’t wait to run defenseman Cody Ceci out of town on a rail. This year, the Pittsburgh Penguins are trying to calculate if they can afford to keep Ceci.
• BHN: Is UFA forward Sean Kuraly’s time up with the Boston Bruins?
• NYIHN: The Tampa Bay Lightning are the fifth NHL team to win a Stanley Cup semifinal game by a margin of at least eight goals. Of those who went ahead of them, the 1944 Montreal Canadiens (11-0 over Toronto), 1972 Boston Bruins (10-2 over St. Louis) and 1985 Edmonton Oilers (11-2 over Chicago) all won the Cup. The 1947 Red Wings (9-1 over Toronto), on the other hand, lost that series to the Leafs in five games.
• LVHN: The top two players chosen in the 2009 NHL entry draft – Marc-Andre Fleury (1st) and Eric Staal (2nd) – are playing in the Vegas-Montreal semifinal series.
• Two players in the Vegas-Montreal series are also sons of dads who played pro in other sports. Canadiens defenseman Jeff Petry’s father Dan pitched for the 1984 World Series-winning Detroit Tigers. Golden Knights forward Ryan Reaves’ dad Willard was a running back in the NFL with Washington and a CFL star with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.