Yzerman begins raiding Tampa's roster ☠️

Look out! Steve Yzerman's plan to pillage the entire Tampa roster that he built is in full motion now.

Well, maybe that's not his actual plan, but he's swung a deal to take at least one Lightning player to Detroit with him. The Red Wings traded a 4th-round pick to Tampa in exchange for forward Adam Erne.

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The teams announced the trade today. The Red Wings will send over their 4th-round pick in next year's draft for Erne, who is a 24-year-old winger drafted by Tampa at 33rd overall in 2013.

Erne played 65 games with the Bolts this past season, scoring 7 goals and 13 assists. Erne is a restricted free agent right now after a one-year deal with Tampa expired this summer, according to CapFriendly. That means Detroit can decide his future as we gear up for training camp next month.

Sergei Bobrovsky of the Columbus Blue Jackets knocks the puck away from Adam Erne of the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game Three of the Eastern Conference First Round on April 14, 2019. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)

This appears to be a move for more size up front for the Red Wings -- Erne is listed at 6-foot-1, 214 pounds. He was averaging 3rd- and 4th-line minutes this past season on that stacked Tampa roster.

Obviously, Yzerman sees something in this player that he drafted as Tampa GM. Erne was in the Tampa system for six seasons, first with the AHL's Syracuse Crunch before being called up in 2017. He found himself a more permanent spot in the lineup this past season. He looks like a player who is starting to hit his stride. He was a second-round draft pick, so this could end up being a steal.

As we've been saying since April 19, "in Yzerman we trust." Let's see what this move turns into.


Dave Bartkowiak Jr. authors this Red Wings newsletter. Contact him at dbartkowiak@wdiv.com or on Twitter: @DaveBartko.