Plain Duck Wings

Jones > Gauthier
Lundestrom > Hajek
Hakanpaa >> Skinner
Deslauriers >>> Smith plus the fourth

What were you thinking?

Detroit passes. After spending all of last season in the AHL there is a very good chance Rykov doesn't come back to the NHL. Detroit has enough bottom 6 forwards so they don't need or want Howden.

Wings pass, makes 0 sense for them

Certainly not that! Going forward, we only get Isaac and slow spare Jones. You get Gauthier, a potential d, a prospect d and a fourth.
Isaac = Gauthier
Jones is a 12/13f. Hakanpaa is a 7/8d and eventually Euro bound. Nic D is a 2x1m AHLer.
Hajek still has potential. Skinner is a rd with promise. Smith is actually usable x1 and a 4th for his cap.

Let's look at it another way.

We're giving up four guys who have played in the NHL and are pretty much proven value, with remaining upside in three instances. (From his audition last season, Hakanpaa looks like he may get a significant opportunity to fill the #3 RD slot this year.) You're giving us a prospect rated below Lundestrom in both upside potential and likelihood of making it to the NHL permanently, an LD prospect of which we have 4 better and 2 equivalent, a virtual no-hoper who isn't even third on your RD prospect depth chart, a hideous cap dump and an unlikely-to-be-useful draft pick.

You're either delirious or kidding yourself.