Detroit Red Wings: Exploring a potential Gustav Nyquist trade

The Carolina Hurricanes recently made a deal with the Minnesota Wild, and reports say they Canes’ would still like to add a top-six forward.  Ken Holland should pick up the phone and offer a specific Detroit Red Wings forward.

The time is now for Detroit Red Wings General Manager Ken Holland to pick up the phone and make a call to the Carolina Hurricanes.  Holland should gauge the teams’ interest in forward, Gustav Nyquist.

Things are not as easy as they appear though.  Nyquist is the owner of one of those famous no-trade clauses that Ken Holland loves to hand out.  Kenny Holland went on a stretch where he handed out NTC, and no-movement clauses as if he were Oprah giving away cars.

Maybe for the younger audience, Ellen Degeneres would be a better example, but you get the point.  There was a time it seemed anyone who walked passed the office of Ken Holland, received either a 12-year contract or a no trade/movement clause.  In some cases, players received both.

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By looking at the details of this trade, the Detroit Red Wings are not the only team in the league with what many people would consider a “bad” contract which makes me feel a bit better.  Nino Niederreiter went from Minny to Carolina.  He was the fourth overall pick back in 2010; he makes 5.25 million per season with four years left on the deal.

The 26-year-old forward has only recorded 9 goals and 23 points through 46 games this season.  From the age of 22-24, he recorded 20 plus goals three straight times.  He’s only playing around 14:00 TOI minutes a night and is in the midst of his second consecutive down season.

The deal saw Victor Rask go the other way from the Canes’ to the Wild.  He turns 26 in March and is also struggling this season.  He’s appeared in 26 games this season for Carolina only scoring once and adding 5 helpers.  He makes 4 million per season, and his contract doesn’t expire until July of 2022.

This makes Gustav Nyquist’s 4.75 per season not look too bad at all.  It actually makes Frans Nielsen‘s 5.25 per season tolerable.  That is a contract I’ve been critical of multiple times but looking at these other deals, it makes me rest a bit easier.

The Carolina Hurricanes according to Pierre LeBrun of TSN.ca are looking to add a top-six forward and are willing to use a defenseman in exchange to do it.  If Nyquist is ready to play elsewhere and in this case Carolina, Ken Holland needs to explore this situation.

It is not clear who the Cane’s are willing to move on the back-end, but they have a couple of interesting options with term remaining on their deals.  The two that stand out to me are Dougie Hamilton and Justin Faulk.

Hamilton (25) is under contract for two additional seasons after this season, and Faulk is under contract for one more season after the conclusion of this one.  Hamilton is a right-handed defenseman with 16 points on the season, that includes 6 goals.  His Corsi percentage during 5 on 5 play is phenomenal at 59%.

Justin Faulk turns 27-years-old this March, he’s also a right-handed shot in 46 games this season he’s recorded 3 goals and 17 points.  He is playing an average of 22:15 TOI minutes per game and his CF% is exceptional at 54.1%.

I mention these two defenders because various media outlets throughout the year they’ve both been mentioned in trade rumors.  Now, Gustav Nyquist alone surely won’t land either one player for player.  The Detroit Red Wings may have to sweeten the deal with a defender like Nick Jensen or maybe forward Martin Frk and a mid-level draft pick.  If you were wondering about Jensen’s CF%, he is at 49.7%, significantly lower than the two Canes’ players mentioned.

Gustav Nyquist might be just what the doctor ordered for the Hurricanes especially if they feel they have an opportunity to retain him before reaching the open market.  The Detroit Red Wings veteran winger is having a very solid season.

He’s up to 40 points this season through 48 games, he brings a veteran presence, and although he is set to be a free agent this summer, the Hurricanes have plenty of cap room to potentially re-sign him if they wish.  He’s only 29-years-old, and he will draw a lot of attention on the open market this summer.