Trade completed by the Detroit Red Wings appears much worse than expected

The Red Wings failed to reach the playoffs for the ninth straight year, marking the worst drought in franchise history. The team is quite close to getting to the level they have to reach before thinking of competing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

In fact, a new development shows that things could've gone differently if they hadn't made the mistake of trading Jake Walman to the San Jose Sharks last year.

Indeed, in what is widely considered the worst trade of Steve Yzerman in Detroit, he shipped out Jake Walman to the San Jose Sharks alongside a second-round draft pick for future considerations, and the Sharks flipped him a few months later to the Edmonton Oilers for prospect Carl Berglund and a first-round pick.

His departure from Detroit was controversial, as he never really got to know why he was sent away, even to this day.

The Edmonton Oilers are one of the best teams in the NHL, and Walman is currently thriving there. He played an important role on the blue line in the playoffs, and the Oilers are now on their way to compete in a second straight Stanley Cup Final.

Since he was traded by the Red Wings, he has scored 40 points in 65 regular season games, and six points in 16 playoff games, including two assists last night, in the series-clinching win over the Stars.

How many points have those future considerations scored in Detroit?

Yzerman can't be at peace with that decision, especially considering Walman is currently preparing to compete in the Stanley Cup Finals with his new team.

This could be the biggest blunder made by an NHL general manager in 2024, especially after seeing the Red Wings' blue line struggle over the season.