The Elmer Soderblom trade occurred shortly before the Detroit Red Wings landed Justin Faulk, and regret has to sink in. While the Wings watched the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs from home, Soderblom made his presence known on the ice after being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in March for a third-round draft pick. Worse yet for the Wings? Soderblom showed off the exact value Detroit needed in March and April.
Elmer Soderblom Trade and the Detroit Red Wings
In March, the Red Wings needed depth. While Soderblom only saw time in 39 contests with 10:41 of average total ice time before the trade, his overall playing style was a missing piece in Detroit’s ill-fated quest to make the playoffs. Soderblom loves contact, and he throws his 6’8″, 252-lb frame around often. He showed off his physical play during his limited time with the Wings, and he kept it up down the stretch and throughout the first round of the playoffs with the Penguins against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Credit Image: © Dirk Shadd/Tampa Bay Times via ZUMA Press Wire
But the Penguins did something else with Soderblom. They figured out how to get the most of his production while he still played on the lower lines. During his 20 regular-season contests with the Penguins, Soderblom averaged 11:57 of total ice time, with 10 points and five goals.
Soderblom also landed 35 hits, was on the ice for 14 goals at even strength, and had a healthy 15.2 on-ice shooting percentage. His Corsi For was just 45.6, but here’s the kicker: his offensive zone starting percentage sat at 26.9. Meaning nearly three-quarters of his starts at even strength came in the defensive zone.
Elmer Soderblom Showed Up in the Playoffs
In Game 1 against the Flyers, Soderblom tied for the highest shots total alongside Erik Karlsson, Bryan Rust, and Sidney Crosby with three. He saw just 10:25 of ice time, but that was expected for a career bottom-six forward making his playoff debut. He had one defensive lapse in the third period on a Travis Sanheim goal, but other than that, Soderblom enjoyed a solid outing.
Soderblom drew an early penalty in that game when he took a hard hit from Rasmus Ristolainen. In typical playoff hockey fashion, Soderblom found himself in the middle of an ensuing scuffle right after while officials issued the penalty to Ristolainen. That’s what you want to see from someone who could land into a “glue player” role with the Penguins.
Throughout the first round, Soderblom showed off the kind of grit that the Red Wings were missing. One they could have used as players seemed hesitant to consistently display an edge against opponents. They had a few players, like Marco Kasper and Emmitt Finnie, but both possessed skill sets and enough upside to be more than just edgy forwards. Soderblom is someone who exclusively fit that role in the first round. He ended up playing in five out of six games, with a goal, 14 hits, and a 55.1 Corsi For.
Red Wings Must Find and Utilize a Player Like Soderblom
Soderblom never seemed like an ideal fit for head coach Todd McLellan’s system. He often clocked in as the 13th forward and spent almost as much time in the press box as he did on the bench. He already showed, even with a limited 25-game sample size in Pittsburgh, that his hard-nosed playing style and depth-scoring potential was a missed opportunity for the Red Wings.
Detroit lacks a player capable of filling that role. Emmitt Finnie and Marco Kasper will evolve into 40-45-point players and likely solid third-liners. Michael Rasmussen is the only player on the Wings who comes close to Soderblom, but his physical play wanes at times despite his 6 ‘6″, 222-lb build and he may be out of chances in Detroit.
Here are the Red Wings options: Either they keep and find a way to get more physical play out of Rasmussen, or they hunt for a Soderblom-like type of forward and properly utilize him. This latest playoff collapse should have shown Detroit the kind of value Soderblom brings, even if he only plays between 10 and 11 minutes a game.
Main Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
