5 Possible Trades That Make Sense for the Red Wings
The NHL trade deadline is only four weeks away, on March 21 at 3:00 PM ET, to be exact. With the Red Wings slipping further out of playoff contention in a very difficult Eastern Conference, it looks more and more like Detroit will once again be sellers this year.
General Manager Steve Yzerman has 10 forwards, three defensemen, and one goaltender under contract for next year. Looking at the status of contracts for next year, it is obvious that Yzerman will be trying to unload some of the seven UFA’s from the current roster.
Here is a look at the five that I believe are the most likely to be moved by the deadline.
Nick Leddy
Nick Leddy is likely one player that the Red Wings will move prior to the deadline. Leddy’s cap hit of $5.5M makes it tough for most teams headed to the playoffs, but the Red Wings have plenty of cap space and have the ability to retain most of Leddy’s contract. The higher the cap retention, the higher the trade value.
General Manager Steve Yzerman traded a 2nd round pick to the New York Islanders for Leddy last summer. Yzerman will be expecting at least a 2nd round pick and possibly a prospect or salary dump in order to trade Leddy to a contender.
There are numerous possibilities, but one that won’t go away is a Leddy trade back to the New York Islanders. I personally don’t see that happening because New York is currently out of the playoff running and sit behind even Detroit in the Wild Card standings.
One trade that could be a possibility is a Leddy trade to Toronto. A 2nd round pick in the 2022 draft plus a salary dump of Nick Ritchie would be favorable for both teams.
Potential Trade: Nick Leddy to Toronto for Nick Ritchie and a conditional 2022 2nd round pick that slips to a 3rd round pick if Toronto doesn’t make it to the Conference Finals in 2022
Vladislav Namestnikov
Detroit fans don’t want to see Vladislav Namestnikov traded because he has been a valuable player for the Red Winngs this year. His contract status as an UFA in the summer almost dictates that Yzerman moves the versatile forward.
Namestnikov is currently 5th in scoring among Detroit forwards, but the Red Wings are getting Jakub Vrana back from shoulder surgery in the next week or so, and his addition would offset any trade the Red Wings make with Namestnikov.
Once again, there are numerous suitors for a player with Namestnikov’s skillset. I would personally like to see Namestnikov traded to Boston along with European defenseman Eemil Viro for disgruntled Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk. DeBrusk has made it abundantly clear that he wants a change of scenery.
Namestnikov would help the Bruins down the stretch and by throwing in Viro, a defenseman with upside, it could make the deal a reality. Viro is currently under contract with the Red Wings, but is currently on loan in Finland. He is likely coming to North America next year, but Detroit have too many LD prospects and he is expendible.
Trade: Vladislav Namestnikov and Eemil Viro to Boston for Jake DeBrusk
Marc Staal
Marc Staal is an UFA in the summer, so it makes sense that Yzerman listens to offers for the steady veteran defender. Staal loves it in Detroit and would like to play the remainder of his career here. It would take a terrific offer for Yzerman to move Staal, but it does make sense to move him at the deadline and then re-sign him in the summer.
Staal is a really solid NHL defenseman, and even at 35, could be a dependable player for any playoff bound team. If he is traded, it would be nice to see Staal play the remainder of the season in Carolina with his brother Jordan. Carolina are in a logjam in the Eastern Conference and look to make a long playoff run this year. Adding a veteran defenseman makes sense and Carolina could offer Detroit a 3rd round pick in 2022 to finalize the deal.
Trade: Marc Staal to Carolina for a conditional 2022 3rd round pick that slips to a 4th round pick if Carolina doesn’t make it to the Conference Finals in 2022
Thomas Greiss
Thomas Greiss has been terrific since returning to the Detroit lineup. Greiss will be an UFA at the end of the season. At 36, Greiss could sign a one year extension with Detroit or he could be traded to a contender that needs depth for a long playoff run.
The Florida Pathers are currently the top team in the Eastern Conference. They really don’t have any insurance if Sergei Bobrovski gets injured. With very little cap space, a Greiss trade to Florida would require Detroit to absorb a great deal of salary.
Detroit could promote Calvin Pickard so that he could be the backup to Alex Nedeljkovic. This would allow Kaden Fulcher and Victor Brattstrom to tend goal for Grand Rapids for the remainder of the AHL season. The Griffins will likely miss the playoffs and both Fulcher and Brattstrom are RFA’s that could fight for a new contract with Detroit or risk being UFA’s if not re-signed.
Trade: Thomas Greiss to Florida for a 3rd round pick in 2022. Detroit retains salary in the deal.
Troy Stecher
Troy Stecher will be an UFA at the end of the season. Detroit have Moritz Seider, Filip Hronek, and Gustav LIndstrom currently the foundation on RD. With, prospects Wyatt Newpower, Annti Tuomisto, Oscar Plandowski, and possibly Alex Cotton, there really is no need to sign Stecher to an extension.
Stecher will most likely be traded prior to the deadline. He missed most of this season with injury, but he is healthy again. If Detroit were strong contenders for a playoff spot, Stecher would stay. With the Eastern Conference loaded with excellent teams, Detroit is on the outside of the playoffs and should remain that way for the remainder of the season.
Playoff bound teams would love to add a healthy Troy Stecher to their lineup. Last year, Stecher helped Canada win a World Championship and he provides experience and veteran leadership. He shoots right and would be a valuable depth player on any playoff team.
One team that could use a RD is Minnesota. They currently only have two RD on the active roster and are currently 2nd in the Western Conference. They also have almost $2M in cap space so they wouldn’t need Detroit to retain any salary. Minnesota should make a deep playoff run and adding Stecher for a 3rd or 4th round pick would be an addition worth making.
Trade: Troy Stecher to Minnesota for a conditional 4th round pick in 2022 that moves up to a 3rd round pick if Minnesota makes it to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Dylan Larkin is following in Steve Yzerman's Footsteps. light. More