It’s crazy to think the trade deadline is barely just a week away and it puts the Detroit Red Wings squarely in the seller’s seat as it inches closer. Names like Bobby Ryan, Luke Glendening, Jonathan Bernier, Marc Staal, and even Anthony Mantha have been mentioned as possible pieces moved soon enough.
But the key is patience. Every Red Wings fan has a hope that this rebuild will end sooner rather than later, but Steve Yzerman asked for the time and patience to get it done correctly. Looking at the lineup, the holes to fill are still many and there are many sellers with some more interesting trade chips that could bring down the price for what the Red Wings could get.
Glendening could garner interest, especially with Edmonton. Ryan has literally been rumored to be traded since he scored four goals in his first three games. Mantha is a divisive issue with Red Wings fans, going back as far as the beginning of the season as to what should be done with him.
But the real key? For whoever Yzerman trades for, or doesn’t trade for, it’s all just another piece in the Yzerplan that will set the foundation for the years to come. There are many buyers out there–which include Stanley Cup contenders, bubble teams, and some squads trying to make shake things up. Prospect pools they could raid range from those flush with talent to barren. Creativity will be paramount. But patience–notice the theme–has to be the key.
Unless a team gets absolutely desperate, I don’t see a lot of high end picks coming back to Detroit. The same goes for top end prospects. It will involve Mantha for something like that and while Yzerman is apparently listening to all deals, I think Mantha would get moved at the Draft instead of the deadline.
History reveals that It’s the little moves that add up in the end. Look at Robby Fabbri, Troy Stecher, or Ryan. Smart gambles, as Yzerman has done since his days in Tampa, will pay dividends down the road. He’ll swing for the fences when he has the assets to do so.
That isn’t yet. But patience with the Yzerplan will yield the success we all crave soon enough.