Steve Yzerman continues to make moves ahead of Monday's trade deadline.
On Sunday the Red Wings dealt veteran defenseman and impending free agent Jon Merrill to the Canadiens for a 2021 fifth-round draft pick and prospect Hayden Verbeek.
Merrill played on Detroit's top D pair with Filip Hronek after signing a one-year, $925,000 deal with the club in the offseason. He collected five assists and averaged 19:41 of ice time over 36 games.
He'll give the Canadiens a steady presence on the blueline as they try to maintain the final playoff spot in the North Division.
In Verbeek, the Wings are getting a 23-year-old center who signed with Montreal out of the OHL in 2018. He has 10 points in 76 career games in the AHL.
For Yzerman, the pick is the more valuable asset, even if it comes in the later rounds. After picking up an extra 2021 fourth-rounder from the Lighting on Saturday, the Wings now have 10 picks in the first five rounds of this year's draft.
They also added a fourth-rounder in 2022 by sending defenseman Patrik Nemeth to the Avs on Friday.
