Detroit Red Wings' Worst Trade Of The Past Year

The Detroit Red Wings made a shocking move at the trade deadline this year by moving on from Filip Hronek. Not many thought he was a possibility to be traded despite the Red Wings looking to sell. What was surprising about it is he has one year left on his deal at $4.4 million AAV and was dealt to another non-contender.

Sure, the Red Wings got a first and a second round pick in return while giving up a fourth rounder along with Hronek to the Vancouver Canucks, but he is only 25 years old, having a career year, and only getting better. The right side of Detroit's defence is already fairly weak with little depth, but now they made it harder for themselves.

The explanation that I could come up with as to why the Red Wings would give up on a young talent like that is that they have their sights set on a bigger fish signed for a better price for a number of years. The Red Wings have no shortage in cap space and can take on a player like Erik Karlsson or Colton Parayko without having to dish out extra draft picks to lessen the cap hit they acquire.

Detroit didn't even get the chance to negotiate a new contract with Hronek seeing as one can't be signed with over a year left on his deal. Steve Yzerman said he traded the players who he didn't think he could get signed like Tyler Bertuzzi and Oskar Sundqvist, but maybe Hronek was going to cost more than the general manager wanted to sign him for. I think that's Detroit's loss seeing how Hronek was trending, but we'll have to wait and see. For now, that is the worst trade of the past year for the Red Wings.