Ted Lindsay trades
| Minnesota North Stars acquire | Date | Detroit Red Wings acquire | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | cash | January 3, 1980 | Alex Pirus |  |
| Minnesota North Stars acquire | Date | Detroit Red Wings acquire | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dave Hanson | January 3, 1980 | future considerations | |
| Detroit Red Wings acquire | Date | Philadelphia Flyers acquire | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dennis Sobchuk | September 4, 1979 | 1981 conditional 3rd or 4th round pick (#65-Dave Michayluk) |  |
| Los Angeles Kings acquire | Date | Detroit Red Wings acquire | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Andre St. Laurent | August 22, 1979 | Dale McCourt | |
| 1980 1st round pick (#4-Larry Murphy) | rights to restricted free agent Rogatien Vachon | |||
| 1981 1st round pick (#2-Doug Smith) | ||||
| Comment: Compensation trade for Detroit signing free agent Rogatien Vachon | ||||
| Detroit Red Wings acquire | Date | Pittsburgh Penguins acquire | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pete Mahovlich | August 3, 1979 | Nick Libett |  |
| Los Angeles Kings acquire | Date | Detroit Red Wings acquire | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rights to Steve Carlson | December 6, 1978 | Steve Short | |
| St. Louis Blues acquire | Date | Detroit Red Wings acquire | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Rick Bowness | October 10, 1978 | cash | |
| Minnesota North Stars acquire | Date | Detroit Red Wings acquire | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rights to Jack Carlson | July 27, 1978 | future considerations | |
| Toronto Maple Leafs acquire | Date | Detroit Red Wings acquire | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Dan Maloney | March 13, 1978 | 1978 2nd round pick (#31-Al Jensen) | |
| 1980 2nd round pick (#25-Craig Muni) | 1978 1st round pick (#12-Brent Peterson) | |||
| Errol Thompson | ||||
| 1980 1st round pick (#11-Mike Blaisdell) | ||||
| Hartford Whalers acquire | Date | Detroit Red Wings acquire | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Tim Sheehy | February 11, 1978 | future considerations (cash) | |
| Los Angeles Kings acquire | Date | Detroit Red Wings acquire | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Danny Grant | January 9, 1978 | 1978 3rd round pick (#53-Doug Derkson) | |
| rights to Barry Long | ||||
| Detroit Red Wings acquire | Date | Chicago Blackhawks acquire | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dennis Hull | December 2, 1977 | 1980 4th round pick (#67-Carey Wilson) |  |
| Detroit Red Wings acquire | Date | Philadelphia Flyers acquire | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| cash | November 1, 1977 | Terry Murray | |
| Detroit Red Wings acquire | Date | New York Islanders acquire | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andre St. Laurent | October 20, 1977 | Michel Bergeron |  |
| Atlanta Flames acquire | Date | Detroit Red Wings acquire | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | cash | August 18, 1977 | Rick Bowness | |
| Detroit Red Wings acquire | Date | Washington Capitals acquire | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 3rd round pick (#46-Boris Fistric) | August 17, 1977 | Walt McKechnie |  |
| rights to restricted free agent Ron Low | 1978 3rd round pick (#45-Jay Johnston) | |||
| 1979 2nd round pick (#24-Errol Rausse) | ||||
| Atlanta Flames acquire | Date | Detroit Red Wings acquire | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| future considerations | August 1, 1977 | Al McDonough | |
| Comment: Exact date unknown | ||||