4 players the Detroit Red Wings should target ahead of the trade deadline
By Bob Heyrman
The Detroit Red Wings should look to add defenseman Nick Jensen or Trevor van Riemsdyk.
Again, similar to Luke Schenn, Washington Capitals defenseman Nick Jensen would be considered a significant upgrade to the Detroit Red Wings’ third pairing.
Jensen, 32, is a former draft selection of the Detroit Red Wings. Detroit picked the right-handed defender 150th overall in the fifth round of the 2009 NHL Entry Level Draft out of St. Cloud State. Jensen played two-plus seasons with Detroit before being shipped to the Washington Capitals in 2019 for Madison Bowey and a 2020 second-rounder that the Red Wings would turn into Cross Hanas.
The Washington Capitals have recently made all of their pending unrestricted free agents available as they look to next season. Washington isn’t expected to begin a wholesale rebuild but more of a reload this summer. Jensen is in the final year of his deal, which averages $2.5 million per season.
Tyler Kotila recently wrote about how Jensen should be a trade target for the Detroit Red Wings, and I agree. The veteran defenseman is posting a career-high in points this season, with 22 in just 61 games. He’s notched two goals and 20 assists while averaging nearly 21 minutes of ice time per game, which is also a career-high. Jensen is also posting a career-high in shot blocks, with 110 to date, with 30 takeaways and 89 hits. The 32-year-old is an above-average skater but is known as a defensive-minded shot-blocking defender that would serve as a clear upgrade on the right side of Detroit’s third pairing.
Jensen has maintained a Corsi For Percentage of 50.3 and a Relative Corsi For Percentage of -1.1 during even strength situations. The veteran defender has been playing on Washington’s top pairing this season, mentoring 23-year-old Martin Fehervary.
Trevor van Riemsdyk could also be a target for the Detroit Red Wings. Like Jensen, van Riemsdyk is a right-handed shot and a pending free agent carrying a cap hit of just $950,000. The 32-year-old defender averages over 18 minutes per night playing on Washington’s second unit.
He’s maintaining a Corsi For Percentage of 51.3, has recorded six goals and 17 points over 61 games, and is a plus-10.