DETROIT — General manager Steve Yzerman went big in the final minutes of Monday’s NHL trade deadline.
The Wings traded forward Anthony Mantha to the Washington Capitals for forwards Jakub Vrana and Richard Panik, a 2021 first-round pick and a 2022 second-round pick.
Mantha, 26, signed a four-year contract worth $22.8 million before the season but has had a disappointing year.
Despite scoring 20-plus goals twice in his career, Mantha only has 11 goals and 10 assists in 42 games this season.
Vrana, 25, is a left wing who has 11 goals and 14 assists this season in 39 games. The former 2014 first-round pick had 25 goals and 27 assists in 69 games in Washington last season, and has twice scored over 20 goals in a season in his career.
Panik, 30, is a right wing who has three goals and six assists in 36 games.
Yzerman, who is expected to address the media later Monday afternoon, did most of his other trade work on the weekend. But this move dwarfs the other ones.
Defenseman Jon Merrill was traded to Montreal for a 2021 fifth-round pick and prospect forward Hayden Verbeek.
Defenseman Patrik Nemeth was dealt to Colorado for a 2022 fourth-round draft pick.
The Wings also got a 2021 fourth-round pick from Tampa for working as a middleman between Tampa Bay and Columbus and taking on some salary of defenseman David Savard’s contract (Savard landed in Tampa).
