Detroit Red Wings: 4 forwards to target ahead of the trade deadline

(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
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Detroit Red Wings, Lars Eller
Washington Capitals center Lars Eller skates during the warmups before the game against the Carolina Hurricanes during the 2023 Stadium Series ice hockey game at Carter-Finley Stadium. (James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports)

Detroit Red Wings should consider adding Lars Eller.

The Detroit Red Wings might have ended the Washington Capitals season, in a way, with their recent win over the Caps. There are several players that that Capitals are shopping that the Red Wings should be reaching out about.

While Nick Jensen is an option to add for the Red Wings on the defensive side of things, reaching out about forward, Lars Eller is also worth kicking the tires on. The 33-year-old forward has been around for the last fourteen seasons like Bonino and has a Stanley Cup ring of his own.

Eller has fallen a bit below the levels the Capitals have been hoping for, with just seven goals and nine assists for 16 total points over 60 games played in 2022-23. He’s an unrestricted free agent after this season, so the Red Wings could rent him for their pending postseason run.

Without Rasmussen, the Red Wings might benefit from someone like Eller being able to slide into the bottom six as a centerman. Eller can do just that. His offense may not jump off the page at you, but he’d be worth bringing back to see what he can do the rest of the way in a new forward core.

The Red Wings may be looking at the Capitals as a trade suitor for defensive depth, but it might not hurt to check in and see what it would take to get Eller.