Answering all the tough Red Wings’ questions heading into December

Ville Husso appears to be a true number-one goaltender. Does this make Alex Nedeljkovic expendable ahead of the NHL trade deadline?

In theory, yes. But to trade Alex Nedeljkovic, he has to get out of the slump he’s in to boost his value to a place where Detroit can extract some real value. If he’s glued to the bench, that’s not going to happen.

However, I think the ideal situation is that not only does Ned get his game going, but he proves himself worthy of a short-term extension to remain in tandem with Husso. While Husso has undoubtedly been great, I wouldn’t exactly call him a safe bet at this point (we all thought Nedeljkovic was a pretty safe bet at this point last year.) We’ve seen Ned’s highs before, and they are certainly high – it’s just a matter of getting him back there.

While there are some viable options set to be available in free agency next summer, there’s a reason why we were all so high on the Husso-Ned tandem before the start of the season. If the latter can get back to where he was at times last season, there may not be a better option to be Husso’s backup – at least until Sebastian Cossa is ready to go.

The Detroit Red Wings have suffered plenty of injuries this season; when/if they become fully healthy, who do you expect to be removed from the starting lineup?

That’s the million-dollar question. I think an easy answer is Elmer Söderblom, as the young winger has shown that he still has aspects of his game to work on, but that’s not going to solve the roster crunch completely.

Another player I look at as being expendable is Pius Suter. While I appreciate the versatility he brings to the lineup, I think too many players have passed him on the depth chart, and enough teams would be interested in adding him to bolster their depth. I believe Adam Erne is an option to be moved out, too, though I don’t know that teams will be knocking down Detroit’s door for him.

I know many people will suggest that Zadina should be sent off to Timbuktu, but I still believe that he’s the type of player that Yzerman is referring to when he preaches patience through this rebuild.

Remember, it wasn’t that long ago that Michael Rasmussen seemed like a lost cause, and now he is arguably the Red Wings’ second-best center (which is more of an indictment on Detroit’s center depth, but that’s a topic for another day.) If they sell low on Zadina now to make room for others, they’ll regret it when he finally hits his stride and becomes a legitimate top-six threat for another team.