5 players Steve Yzerman and the Red Wings should pursue before the trade deadline

Tis the season for trade chatter. The NHL trade deadline is Friday, March 7th, at 3 PM EST. Much has been said in recent weeks about possible additions and subtractions to Detroit's lineup. Less than a week from the deadline, similar to last year, the Red Wings are currently slotted in the final wild card position, but unlike a year ago, they are in a position to be buyers.

Last year, Yzerman felt like the Red Wings were not good enough to move young assets and draft capital for a rental player at the deadline and could not strike a deal for a player they felt could be a long-term solution. In turn, he elected to stand pat, and Detroit missed the postseason due to losing a tie-breaking with the Washington Capitals.

This year, things feel a bit different.

I don't believe Yzerman looks at Detroit's current roster and thinks they are a Stanley Cup contender. Still, I assume he feels this team can be a playoff team and possibly win a playoff series or two, depending on their matchup, especially with how Todd McLellan has improved their fundamentals and overall compete level since taking over behind the bench on Boxing Day. For a team that has been rebuilding as long as Detroit, that is progress. I feel Yzerman will be looking to reward his veteran players by adding a piece or two ahead of the deadline. If all goes well and the Red Wings earn a playoff spot, it will give some of the young players a much-desired taste of what playoff hockey is all about and hopefully light a fire for the coming years. Also, if the Red Wings hope to attract free agents this summer and beyond, they must prove willing to spend and improve year-to-year. That also goes for retaining their pending unrestricted free agents.

According to Puck Pedia, the Detroit Red Wings will have about $13.5 million in trade deadline cap space to spend if they choose to.

For the second year in a row, the Detroit Red Wings will not be sellers at the deadline, and here are five realistic players they should consider adding.

Radko Gudas

I've mentioned Radko Gudas in years past when he's become available but the Detroit Red Wings have never bit. The veteran rugged right-handed shot is just what the doctor ordered for Detroit. The Red Wings could use a jolt of toughness on their backend, and Gudas is just that.

Gudas, 34, has one year remaining on his current deal that averages $4 million annually. He's a bit of an old-school player who seeks physicality and thrives in those types of contests. Checking in the playoffs becomes much tighter, and space becomes more challenging. The Detroit Red Wings need a player to energize the crowd and their bench with a thunderous hit or fight. Gudas does more than that, he's a reliable penalty killer and defensive minded defender.

With Jeff Petry injured and in the final year of his contract, the Red Wings could use someone like Gudas on the right side of their third pairing, with one year left on his deal. The Ducks captain has recorded one goal and 13 points over 58 games this season and is a plus 6, averaging over 19 minutes per night. Anaheim is at the start of what general manager Pat Verbeek has described as a multi-year rebuild. Gudas wouldn't be a rental, and someone Yzerman could get at a reasonable price.

Rasmus Ristolainen

Similar to Gudas, Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen is a player the Detroit Red Wings need to kick the tires on before Friday's deadline.

Ristolainen, 30, is a 6-foot-4, defensive-minded, right-handed shot who will also help Detroit improve their atrocious penalty kill. The Flyers appear to be looking to sell off a few of their veteran assets, and Ristolainen is a name that keeps coming up. The other is forward, Scott Laughton.

Recently, Ristolainen said he isn't focused on the deadline but is being present here and now. “It’s obviously not the first time, and it’s one of those things I can’t really control,” Ristolainen told reporters on Monday. “I don’t bother my mind with it; I just kind of come in every day and work hard.” I do believe in this locker room. I feel we’re a very tight group,” he said.

In 58 games this season, Ristolainen has totaled four goals and 19 points. He is a plus-5 on the year, averaging over 20 minutes per night. After this season, he has two years remaining on his current deal at $5.1 million annually. Being younger than Gudas and having significantly more overall upside, the Red Wings would need to slightly up the ante to acquire Ristolainen. The Flyers will surely be looking for a young player in return, along with that second-round pick.

Ryan O'Reilly/Luke Schenn

Sticking to a trend. The Detroit Red Wings should be looking to add a bit more grit to their lineup for their playoff push.

The Detroit Red Wings are likely more inclined to add a more impactful offensive player to their lineup if they elect to add a forward; a player like Dylan Cozens who they've been linked to for the majority of the year. If the Red Wings are looking for a role player with playoff pedigree, don't bypass a player like O'Reilly. Buffalo will command a significant return for Cozen's services, and the Red Wings should be able to land O'Reilly for pennies on the dollar in comparison to what they'd be forced to hand over to Buffalo for Cozens.

O'Reilly, 34, is a complete center with a Stanley Cup, Conn Smythe, and Selke Trophies to his name. The Nashville Predators are in the midst of a horrible season compared to their off-season hype following the free-agent additions of Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault. They are looking to sell ahead of Friday's deadline. Stamkos, Marchessault, and Filip Forsberg all own no-movement clauses, which will complicate things for the Predators, but O'Reilly is someone who should garner interest from playoff-hopeful organizations.

Predators general manager Barry Trotz is listening to offers on O'Reilly. Still, with the salary cap set to increase significantly, there is no real pressure to move his reliable veteran center, who has three years remaining on his current five-year deal that averages $4.5 million. O'Reilly has totaled 36 points, including 14 goals, through 57 games in the season. Although adding O'Reilly to replace an injured Andrew Copp is intriguing, Trotz will be looking for a high-end, NHL-ready prospect in return. Is that something Yzerman will be willing to part with at this juncture of Detroit's rebuild for a mid-30s middle-six forward? Unlikely.

Two deadlines ago, the Toronto Maple Leafs traded for O'Reilly, who was with the Blues. Here's what that blockbuster deal looked like.

Here's what a hypothetical trade would probably look like between Detroit and Nashville if the Red Wings hoped to land O'Reilly. Maybe add in veteran defender Luke Schenn going Detroit's way with O'Reilly. The rugged stay-at-home defender is a right-handed shot. Like the two defenders mentioned above, he will help aid Detroit's horrible penalty kill with his willingness to block shots and withstand a physical forecheck. Schenn, 35, has one year remaining on his current deal that averages just $2.75 annually.

Pius Suter

Well, hello, old friend. If Yzerman is content with making one or two minor deals, look no further than former Red Wing Pius Suter.

Suter, 28, is enjoying a very nice season for the Vancouver Canucks, and the pending free agent comes at a very affordable price. Suter's current deal averages just $1.6 million, and he's scored 16 goals and 28 points in 59 games for Vancouver.

Suter is a very responsible center who kills penalties and has the ability to work up and down Detroit's lineup. The Detroit Red Wings should be looking to replace Andrew Copp, who is out for the season with an upper-body injury. Despite his lackluster offensive numbers, Copp proved to be a valuable special teams player for the Red Wings and was playing the best hockey as a Red Wing under McLellan at the time of his injury.

Copp, who had skated up and down Detroit's lineup, was performing very well skating between Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane on the second line. Pius Suter is creative enough offensively and reliable on the defensive side to help compensate for Kane and DeBrincat's defensive zone deficiencies. Suter would be a slight upgrade to J.T. Compher (7G, 18A), who is currently centering the second group.

Suter is someone Yzerman may consider extending after re-acquiring if the price is fair. I will add Joe Veleno and his $2.275 million per season into the hypothetical deal. An extension for Suter that averages around $3 million annually seems reasonable for both parties, understanding his market wasn't robust when he signed his current two-year deal in Vancouver before the start of last season.