The Detroit Red Wings should sell high with Trevor Daley

Detroit Red Wings veteran defenseman Trevor Daley is currently injured, but he is not expected to be out long-term.

They play as the Detroit Red Wings top pairing which to some people will come as a surprise.  The pair is often matched up against the oppositions best line.  Trevor Daley who is a fleet-footed defender but has never been an offensive juggernaut.  He is a defensive, shot blocking, penalty killing defenseman.

Daley is expected to be sidelined for a week or so with a lower-body injury.  Daley is a 34-year-old veteran defenseman who has seen his minutes climb in recent weeks playing alongside Mike Green.

Daley has been enjoying some late-career success in Detroit after winning back to back Stanley Cups with the Pittsburg Penguins.  With the hated Penguins, he played significant minutes down the stretch due to injuries to the Pitt back-end.  He was paired with Ron Hainsey playing as a shutdown, PK pair.  The Penguins enjoyed success with a trio of veteran defenders that also included Ian Cole.

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The salary cap axed out a lot of depth for the Pens as it often does and the trio has since been split up, looking for success elsewhere.  Daley of course here in Detroit, Hainsey in Toronto and Ian Cole now in Colorado.

Trevor Daley is an above average skater, as a youngster during his Dallas Stars days, he could flat out fly.  He is a well-rounded defender that plays like a team first player.  He is always willing to put his body on the line for the team.  He can often be found planted in front of the Detroit Red Wings goal trying and hoping to block shots, sparing his goaltenders some extra work.

Last season Daley led the Wings in the category with 125 total blocked shots.  This season he is off to an excellent start again in that department with 28.  He does trail Nick Jensen by a long shot this season, Jensen currently has a team-leading 43 blocks.

It is a statistic many people do not rush to look up.  It isn’t a sexy stat, but it shows the willingness to put your body on the line to win.  If a shot isn’t getting through to the net, it is a shot that has zero chance of ending up on the scoreboard.

Daley has 1 goal and 5 points in 21 games thus far this season and is a plus 2.  The Wings should consider moving the defenseman while he still owns some value.

A guy like Trevor Daley and Nick Jensen for that matter doesn’t draw a lot of interest from a fan base, but they are the glue that drives a successful team.  The Detroit Red Wings should entertain moving Trevor Daley for draft choices sooner than later after he returns from his injury.

As previously mentioned he is enjoying some success playing nearly 19 minutes a night against opposing top lines.  He would fit in nicely as a role player on a contender with” term.”  With term meaning, he is under contract for the remainder of this season and next.  He wouldn’t be a straight rental and only costs 3 million against the cap.

With this likely being Niklas Kronwall‘s final season, Detroit may opt to keep Daley for the duration of the season and the start of next season to remain a mentor along with the likes of Mike Green but if teams are calling looking for a “cheap-ish” third pairing, penalty killing reliable veteran defender Ken Holland and company should jump at the opportunity to make a deal.