Five Red Wings changes that need to happen before the trade deadline

The Detroit Red Wings continue to play inconsistent hockey and are now nine points behind Boston for the final Wild Card playoff spot. Boston also has five games in hand.

The Red Wings have one week off and don’t resume the regular season schedule until next Wednesday.  The lull in the schedule, will give General Manager Steve Yzerman an opportunity to meet with the management team to plan a course of action heading into the trade deadline that is scheduled for March 21 at 3:00 PM ET.

Here is a look at five changes that need to happen with Detroit before the trade deadline.

Nick Leddy will be a highly sought-after player at the trade deadline.  Leddy would bring a veteran presence and depth to any team looking to make a long playoff run.  Leddy is an impending UFA and with Detroit falling further out of the playoff picture, it is almost guaranteed that Leddy will be dealt.  The problem with this scenario is that Leddy sustained an upper body injury on Monday in the game against Anaheim and could be out for an extended period of time.

Advantages: A trade out of Hockeytown will bring in a draft choice that can be used to further assist Detroit in the rebuild.  With Leddy now injured, Detroit will need to prove that Leddy is injury-free.

Disadvantages: Leddy currently has a cap hit of $5.5M.  As long as Detroit absorbs the majority of the salary, Leddy will be easier to move.  Leddy regularly plays 20-21 minutes each night and trading him will expose an already fractured blueline.  Detroit has 20 games remaining after the deadline and someone will have to account for a significant amount of playing time.

What to expect: Nick Leddy will be traded to a contender for a conditional 3rd round selection in the 2022 draft.  The 3rd round pick will change to a 2nd round pick if the team who trades for him makes it to the Stanley Cup Final.

Vladislav Namestnikov continues to improve his trade value before the deadline.  Currently playing on the top line, Namestnikov would like nothing more than to sign an extension and continue playing for the Red Wings.  Namestnikov is currently tied with Robby Fabbri for 5th in Red Wings scoring.  In 46 games, the veteran forward has 12 goals, 10 assists, 22 points, and a -1 rating.  Namestnikov is versatile and has a relatively inexpensive cap hit of $2M.

Advantages:  Namestnikov is playing really good hockey right now and his value is the highest it has been since signing with Detroit in October 2020.  He is a UFA and Detroit can pick up a draft choice or a prospect to assist in the rebuild.  Namestnikov could be re-signed as a free agent next summer.  Namestnikov will be replaced on the top line once Jakub Vrana returns from shoulder surgery.  This will lessen the blow of a Namestnikov trade.

Disadvantages: The Red Wings will lose a valuable member of the team.  Namestnikov loves Detroit and Red Wings fans enjoy the skill and energy he brings to the team on a nightly basis.

What to expect: Namestnikov will be traded for a 3rd round pick in the 2022 draft.  Namestnikov will be re-signed to a two-year deal once the free agency period begins in July.

Last year, Danny DeKeyser was placed on waivers and was a healthy scratch on numerous occasions.  In fact, DeKeyser only played 47 of Detroit’s 56 games last year.  This year, DeKeyser has had an even more difficult time keeping up to the speed of today’s NHL game.  DeKeyser has played 35 of Detroit’s 46 games and has looked like a shadow of his former self.  He has three assists and a -9 rating while averaging 15-17 minutes per night.

Advantages: Placing DeKeyser on waivers will give the Red Wings a chance to see Jared McIsaac and Donovan Sebrango play at the NHL level.  The Grand Rapids Griffins are slowly playing themselves out of a playoff spot, and the Red Wings need to see which youngsters can make the jump to the next level.  DeKeyser can continue to practice with the team and be a leader off the ice while mentoring the next wave of young defensemen.

Disadvantages: It will be virtually impossible to trade DeKeyser before the deadline.  DeKeyser carries a $5M cap hit and he has limited trade value.  DeKeyser will be a UFA at the end of the season and will likely retire at the end of the season.  Benching a veteran player who currently wears an “A” on his sweater would also show a lack of respect for a player who is from Michigan and has played his entire career with Detroit.

What to expect:  If Leddy is traded, DeKeyser will likely play out the season as a healthy scratch that will allow the Red Wings to audition McIsaac and Sebrango.  If Leddy is injured and can’t be traded before the deadline, DeKeyser will likely be a healthy scratch most nights to allow the youngsters to audition for openings on next year’s blueline.

Filip Zadina has been one of the biggest disappointments of this season for the Detroit Red Wings.  Zadina was the 6th overall selection by Detroit in the 2018 draft.  Zadina was drafted to score goals and be a top six player for the Red Wings.  This season, he has been given plenty of time on the second power play unit.  At the beginning of the season, Zadina was playing 15-16 minutes a night, with little success.  Recently, Zadina continues to play with the man advantage, but regularly plays in the bottom six forwards, and in seven of his last nine games has received less than 13 minutes of ice time.  In 45 games this season, Zadina has five goals, nine assists, 14 points, and a -23 rating.

Advantages: Zadina could be used with other prospects and draft picks to land a high caliber player that hopefully can help Detroit in the future.  Zadina needs a change of scenery that can possibly catapult his career to where it was expected when he was drafted.  Players mentioned as trade options include Arizona’s Jakob Chychrun and Boston forward Jake DeBrusk.

Disadvantages: The Detroit Red Wings will not get full value for a player who is currently having a down year.  The biggest issue is that Zadina hasn’t had a good year yet and nobody knows what his potential in the NHL can be.  Zadina is only 22 and his ceiling, as he continues to develop, could be sky high.  Detroit have given Zadina opportunities to succeed over the last two years, with little success.  In 131 career games, Zadina has only scored 20 goals.

What to expect: I would be surprised to see Zadina traded before the deadline.  Zadina will likely remain with the Red Wings until the summer and may be traded in the off-season, prior to the 2022 NHL Entry Draft in July.