Red Wings Defenseman Likely to Be Traded as Rift Grows Quickly With Team

The 2024/25 campaign was a disappointing one for the Detroit Red Wings, and with a critical off-season upcoming, they've got some major choices to make about the future of this organization and the future of their roster.

One key piece of that future is blue liner Axel Sandin-Pellikka, who was a star at the World Juniors level, and now, it appears as though he may be pushing for a roster spot as early as next season.

A player that could make way for ASP is veteran Erik Gustafsson, a player that expressed frustration with Team Sweden after their recent defeat to Team USA at the 2025 IIHF World Championship, after he was demoted to the role of seventh defenseman.

Given that the Red Wings would like to go with some youth moving forward, there's a chance that he gets just as frustrated with the Red Wings, and with Pittsburgh looking for some experience on their blue line, a trade could make sense between the two parties.

At 33-years of age, Gustafsson has tallied 49 points over the last two seasons, and with 60 games under his belt a season ago on a struggling Red Wings team, it's clear that he can still play at a high level.

While a trade isn't a guarantee, after his frustration with Team Sweden, if Gustafsson doesn't get a permanent role in the starting lineup, he may look to express those same frustrations with Steve Yzerman, so don't be surprised to see him moved this off-season.