As with any sport, an organization has to give talent to get talent. For the Red Wings, that means possibly parting with Nate Dainleson, a goalie, or perhaps Marco Kasper. Detroit narrowly missed out on Quinn Hughes but with no sign he was willing to sign an extension the price from Vancouver was just too steep.

Detroit does have two key areas that need improvement. A top-four right-shot defenseman and second-line center. Someone like Justin Faulk, or Robert Thomas, or others could make sense. This is not a time for Yzerman to shy away from a deal or two; his team is finally in a playoff position, and he needs to reward his players and do right by them by getting assets that can help them achieve the team goal of cracking open the contention window.

The way Detroit has responded to coach Todd McLellan’s system has been positive. They are playing well in most areas, with the defense looking much better this season. There have been lapses in offensive production at times, which makes a second-line center paramount.

Detroit must be willing to trade top prospects and top draft picks in order to be a serious Stanley Cup threat. It appears that is exactly what the front office is thinking as well. Yzerman has resurrected a once-dormant prospect pool and has done so without the benefit of having the first overall pick in any draft, which is why the Red Wings rebuild has gone on a little longer than anyone would have liked.

While prospects are important to an organization’s lifeline, it needs to be noted that the value of some prospects is too great to hold onto when there are clear needs.