Red Wings Send Green to Oilers

The Detroit Red Wings made their first move of the 2020 NHL Trade Deadline with about 14 hours before the deadline itself, sending Mike Green to the Edmonton Oilers for a fourth-round draft pick.

The Detroit #RedWings today acquired center Kyle Brodziak and a conditional draft pick from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for defenseman Mike Green. pic.twitter.com/xc6izcqoLF

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) February 24, 2020

Forward Kyle Brodziak also comes to Detroit, but that part of the transaction is purely paper as Brodziak has been on LTIR all season and will not play for the Red Wings, with his contract expiring this summer.

Per Max Bultman of The Athletic, the fourth-round pick in 2020 becomes a third-round pick in 2021 if the Oilers make the Western Conference Finals with Green playing in at least half of Edmonton’s playoff games in the first two rounds.

The Red Wings will retain 50% of Green’s salary for the remainder of the season.

I think a fourth-round pick was the best the Wings could have expected in return for Green.  Retaining salary is not a problem as the Red Wings have the cap space to accommodate it but I really wish that retaining salary had been enough to get the pick up to a third-rounder.  I don’t think the Oilers will make the Conference Finals so I don’t see the conditions kicking in to do that.

As I wrote just moments ago, it’s disappointing that Green, thought to be able to bring Detroit a first-round pick two years ago, is now only worth a fourth-rounder.  That said, I’m glad they were able to move him at all.