Wings Deal Higgins to Ottawa Black Bears

On Tuesday afternoon, Wings General Manager Paul Day dealt goaltender Zach Higgins to the Ottawa Black Bears in exchange for a 2027 1st Round Pick, Phil Caputo, and Liam Patten.

This trade comes just over 24 hours after the Wings picked up four players, including a goalie, in the NLL Dispersal Draft. During the dispersal draft, the Wings selected the following players: Goaltender Nick Damude, Transition player Tony Malcom, Defenseman Connor Sellars, and Defenseman Tim Manning.

Zach Higgins departs the Wings after three seasons in Philadelphia, where he won 25 games and made almost 2,000 saves. Higgins has a career save percentage of .783 and 11.44 GAA. When asked about the trade, Wings GM Paul Day noted on the difficulty of moving on from a player like Higgins: “It has been a pleasure to see Zach grow as a player with our organization. He became our backbone and really established himself as one of the best goalies in the league during his time with us. It was a very difficult decision, but one we had to make as we acquired a 26 year old starter in Nick Damude and are looking to build our team for now and the future.” Wings Head Coach Ian Rubel noted on the quality of Higgins on and off the floor: “The trade for Caputo and Patten has set us up for success now, and the addition of the 2027 1st round pick has put the Wings in a strong position in the future. Higgy is a true professional and competitor. He is a great person and I have valued my time working with him. I wish him all the best in Ottawa.”

Joining the Wings, Phil Caputo is a righty forward who scored 22 goals and posted 17 assists during the 2023-24 season. Defenseman Liam Patten will be a familiar face for many Wings fans, as he suited up for the Wings for two seasons. Patten will provide some grit, and the ability to fight, from the defensive side of the bench.