Many of us are getting caught up in the head coaching rumors, and rightfully so. Head coach Derek Lalonde is in the final year of his current contract, and the Red Wings appear to be stuck in neutral. The organization aspired to be a playoff team this season, yet they are only three points out of the wild card; they're also a mere four points out from being last in the Atlantic Division.
Quite often, Thanksgiving is the landmark for management teams to ponder the status of their organization. Are we a playoff team? Are we rebuilding? Are we going to make a push for the playoffs, wild card, etc? Do we have the proper coach and staff in position for the remainder of the year? Would a change jumpstart the club? Should we become sellers on the active market, or do we need to become buyers? If so, how aggressive?
Usually, Yzerman is fairly loyal to his head coaches and tends to make a change at the conclusion of the season. That might not be the case if he feels as though he has a playoff-caliber roster that is underachieving. I would be surprised if Yzerman brought in someone like Joel Quenneville mid-season. If a change is needed in-season, I believe Yzerman would go with an internal interim like assistant Alex Tanguay or Bob Boughner to fill the role. That said, don't be surprised if Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman becomes active in the trade market heading into the holiday season.
Four possible trade targets for the Detroit Red Wings we need to monitor heading into the holidays
The first player to monitor is defenseman Jacob Trouba. Yes, Trouba, a Rochester, Michigan native, was heavily tied to Detroit this past summer when his name began to circulate in trade rumors. The New York Rangers captain made it known that he'd like to remain in New York until his wife, Kelly, a Bloomfield Hills, Michigan native, finishes her medical residency.
The hard-hitting right-handed defender is under contract through the end of next season with a salary of $8 million annually. His current deal also includes a modified no-trade clause that includes a 15-team no-trade list. That really hampers the Rangers when it comes to moving their captain with such a high salary. Plus, his overall skill-set has diminished over the past few seasons, but he's still a feared hitter and brings a certain edge to his game that helps keep the opponent honest. He's a solid player and would be a viable second-pairing defender, but he's no longer a top-pairing defender, yet he's paid as such.
For a deal of this magnitue to occur, there will need to be a lot more moving parts. Aside from Trouba having a change of heart and waiving his no-trade clause for Detroit, the Rangers would need to be willing to eat a significant portion of his remaining salary. Ideally, they'd retain 50% of the maximum allowed. Then, the Red Wings would need to part with a young player or two, perhaps Joe Veleno or Michael Rasmussen, somebody the Rangers see as a part of their future, even in a depth role, combined with draft compensation. Moving Trouba would also aid the Rangers in the way of clearing up some much-needed cap space for now and next season. Trouba has recorded six assists over 20 games this season, playing over 20 minutes per night. If his minutes were decreased to 17 or 18 playing behind Moritz Seider, I feel he'd be a lot more effective and not as much of a liability. Trouba has never averaged less than 20 minutes per night in any of his 12 NHL seasons.
Looking down the road, Red Wings defenseman Jeff Petry is a pending free agent, and although Ben Chiarot and Justin Holl have one year remaining after this season, either of them should become buyout candidates following this season. Trouba helps fill the void for a year and brings some muscle to the backend. He'd pair nicely with Albert Johansson serving as a veteran mentor and part bodyguard.
The Red Wings should keep an eye on two Philadelphia Flyers
It appears as though the Philadelphia Flyers are aware of what they are despite being just one game below .500. Amid a rebuild; rumors suggest they'd be willing to deal or at least listen to trade offers on a few of their players.
The Detroit Red Wings clearly need to overhaul their backend, particularly on the right side. According to TSN, the Flyers are expected to shop right-handed defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. Ristolainen, 30, a 6-foot-4 defender, has the stature Yzerman often pursues. The Finnish-born defender is under contract for this season and two more years at $5.1 million annually. He's totaled one goal and five points over 21 games this season, averaging nearly 21 minutes of work per game. The former eighth-overall pick (2013) had four good offensive years in Buffalo but has never been a plus player in 12 seasons. Now, plus/minus doesn't carry much weight these days, but Ristolainen isn't the stopper on the backend Detroit needs; he'd be a nice upgrade on the right side for Detroit in favor of Petry, Holl, or Erik Gustafsson.
The other Flyer to monitor is center Scott Laughton. Laughton won't wow you, and quite frankly, you are probably sick of Steve Yzerman acquiring these types of players. Laughton is a two-way, checking center with limited offensive upside. The question is, is he more useful than Andrew Copp or J.T. Compher? Laughton has one more year remaining on his current deal after this season at $3 million per, and knowing the type of depth forward Yzerman seeks, Laughton is a player to keep an eye on. I wouldn't be for it unless he's replacing Copp, but that would take another transaction because there is no way the rebuilding Flyers would be willing to take Copp in a deal unless it was enhanced by draft capital. After attaching a second-round pick to Jake Walman to entice the Sharks to accept a deal this past summer, I wouldn't completely rule it out, but I don't expect to see it occur. It's noteworthy that the Red Wings currently have two third-round selections this coming draft, but don't currently possess a fourth-round choice. Laughton, 30, has recorded two goals and eight points over 22 games this season. He's averaged just under 15 minutes of work, and is a minus-13.
Should the Detroit Red Wings pursue a trade for defense prospect David Jiricek?
The Columbus Blue Jackets drafted defenseman David Jiricek with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Level Draft. The big right-handed defender has soured of late and wants to be in the NHL rather than spend more time developing in the AHL, which has led to plenty of trade speculation.
Jiricek, 21, has appeared in 53 NHL games over the past three years combined, amassing just one goal and 11 points. This season, he's played just six games, averaging just over 11 minutes per game while maintaining a Corsi For Percentage of 47.6 and a minus-2 rating. Like the previous two defenders mentioned, Jiricek is right-handed and large. At 6-foot-4 and physical, he checks a couple of those often Yzerman-desired traits, and he's young enough and had enough potential to be drafted in the top 10 to take a flier on. Like Trouba, he plays with an edge.
The Detroit Red Wings have some roster flexibility on the backend after trading Olli Maatta earlier this year to bring in a player like Jiricek, knowing wherever he goes that, he expects to get a chance to play in the NHL right now. Red Wings defenseman Justin Holl already cleared waivers earlier this season; perhaps that is the move to create space, or maybe Yzerman will make a bold move like placing Ben Chiarot, who has been flat-out terrible this season, on waivers.