from Travis Yost of TSN,

...a team like Detroit – probably in a hopeless position heading into next season – has a higher likelihood of needing the help long term. Tyler Bertuzzi and Anthony Mantha are already stars in this league, but the drop-off to the rest of the field so far has been significant. It should go without saying that trying to win with just two dangerous wingers on an NHL roster is not a viable strategy.

The Red Wings do have pieces in the development queue. Filip Zadina is still just 21, and two Swedes — Jonatan Berggren (Skelleftea AIK) and Lucas Raymond (Frolunda) — are promising players down the road. But like Pierre Dorion in Ottawa, Steve Yzerman has to constantly weigh the risk of banking on prospect hope. For every player with draft pedigree who successfully makes the jump to the NHL, another player ends up being a developmental bust who falls out of the system in short order.

A player like Marchessault would immediately move into the top six (and stay there for years) for both of these franchises, and, quite frankly, it’s not often a player of his calibre becomes available in this manner. This is where being opportunistic with cap space – and knowing how to mitigate the risks associated with putting all of your eggs in the prospect basket – can really put rebuilding organizations in a position of strength.

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