dailyloe.com – The Detroit Red Wings made several moves before the 2026 NHL trade deadline, including a minor deal now looking poor. They traded forward Elmer Soderblom to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a draft pick. That pick was later used in another trade. Soderblom has since thrived with his new team.
The Red Wings first re-acquired David Perron from Ottawa for a 2026 fourth-round pick. Perron had 10 goals and 25 points in 49 games with the Senators. After joining Detroit, he cooled off with three goals in 16 games. The Senators made the playoffs while the Red Wings did not.
Detroit also sought to boost its defense at the deadline. They acquired Justin Faulk from the St. Louis Blues for significant assets. The trade cost a 2026 first-round pick, a third-round pick, a prospect, and a player. Faulk provided decent offense with five goals in 17 games for Detroit.
However, the team’s late-season collapse made giving up the first-round pick sting. The minor deal involving Elmer Soderblom is now starting to look horrible. Soderblom was traded to Pittsburgh for a 2026 third-round pick from San Jose. That pick was then flipped to St. Louis in the Faulk trade.
With a surplus of bottom-six forwards, Detroit opted to move Soderblom. This decision is now looking like a big mistake. Soderblom had just two goals and one assist in 39 games for Detroit this season. He has been thriving with the Penguins since the move.
In 20 games with Pittsburgh, Soderblom has five goals and 10 points. He also recorded 35 hits for his new team. With this, Soderblom is taking his game to a new level in Pittsburgh. He scored more goals post-deadline than all but three Red Wings players.
To be fair, Soderblom did not make much impact in Detroit. He could not find a consistent spot on the Red Wings roster. However, he finished the regular season on a strong note for Pittsburgh. Soderblom recorded four goals and eight points in his last 10 games.
With this, he has only been heating up ahead of the playoffs. The trade is already aging horribly for the Detroit Red Wings. The team’s other deadline acquisitions also yielded mixed results. The performance of the traded players highlights the deal’s current poor outlook.[]
Source: Octopus Thrower
