The Detroit Red Wings are expected to be a borderline playoff team in the 2024-25 NHL season, but there’s speculation that they could strengthen their forward lineup by trading for New York Islanders forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau.
PuckPedia has introduced a new tool called PuckGM that allows users to create their own trade scenarios. One user suggested a deal where the Red Wings would acquire Pageau from the Islanders to enhance their forward depth.
**Red Wings would receive:**
– Jean-Gabriel Pageau
**Islanders would receive:**
– Jonatan Berggren
– Justin Holl ($600k salary retained)
This proposed trade is intriguing and appears logical on paper. The Red Wings would gain a skilled forward in Pageau, while the Islanders would get a younger player in Berggren, who is a restricted free agent (RFA), along with Holl, who, despite his contract, remains a usable defenseman.
Pageau, with two years remaining on his six-year, $30 million contract, could serve as a middle-six forward for Detroit. Last season, he tallied 11 goals and 22 assists for 33 points over 82 games. Throughout his NHL career, Pageau has played 718 games, amassing 145 goals and 179 assists for a total of 324 points.
Berggren, currently an RFA without a contract for the upcoming season, could easily replace Pageau in the Islanders’ lineup and would come at a lower cost. Drafted in the second round of the 2018 NHL Draft, Berggren played 12 games last season, recording 2 goals and 4 assists for 6 points.
Meanwhile, Holl is entering the second year of a three-year, $10.2 million contract. Despite struggling in his first season with the Red Wings, where he posted 0 goals and 5 assists in 38 games, he remains a serviceable defenseman.
Holl Considered a Buyout Candidate
Holl was signed as a free agent in 2023 with the expectation that he would strengthen Detroit’s defense. However, he struggled in his first season and was occasionally a healthy scratch.
Although Holl was considered a potential buyout candidate, the Red Wings ultimately decided not to pursue that option. However, if his performance doesn’t improve, he might be a candidate for a buyout in the 2025 NHL offseason, according to NHL insider Max Bultman of The Athletic.
“They likely didn’t want to commit to four years of dead cap space that would have resulted from a buyout. Although the amount wasn’t significant ($1.13 million per year), four years is a long time to carry dead cap. The Red Wings’ management seems to believe that Holl can still contribute. Whether Lalonde decides to use him is another question, but I don’t sense that Yzerman sees Holl as a lost cause,” Bultman wrote.
“Your point about the cap hit sitting in the press box is valid, but the Red Wings probably don’t expect to have as much luck with injuries this season as they did in 2023-24 — and if that’s the case, Holl might get more playing time. But if he doesn’t and remains a $3.4 million healthy scratch for most of the season, they’ll likely explore a buyout next year, which would result in just two years of dead cap at the same $1.13 million cost,” Bultman added.
Before joining the Red Wings, Holl spent six seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Red Wings Have 2 Key RFA Players Unsigned
As NHL training camps approach in September, the Detroit Red Wings still have a critical task at hand: re-signing restricted free agents Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond.
Seider and Raymond are among the top players on the team, yet neither has secured a new contract.
In the previous season, Seider played all 82 games, contributing 9 goals and 33 assists for a total of 42 points. Raymond also played all 82 games, notching 31 goals and 41 assists, accumulating 72 points.
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