The Detroit Red Wings trade deadline plans have likely done a complete 180 from where things were just a few months ago. The team has indeed started to come alive, and it's a fun time to be a fan in Hockeytown once again. But something must be said about the team's trade deadline plans.
Two words summarize the Detroit Red Wings trade deadline plans for the coming week: "Cautious Buyers." Recently, Ben Heydt, one of the contributors here at Octopus Thrower, put together a piece detailing some of the ideal scenarios.
It got me thinking about the Red Wings and their potential moves that could come this trade deadline season. It feels more and more like the team will be cautious with their moves, opting for more of a passive approach to things. If they go out and get themselves another player via trade, it's unlikely to be some shockingly big name.
Then again, there's a non-zero part of me that is always waiting for Steve Yzerman to make the big move out of nowhere. He's got a knack for pulling the strings and finding ways to complete a deal, so it will be interesting to see what he has up his sleeve. But the likelihood is that the Red Wings will stand pat or buy cautiously.
Cautious buyer is a good descriptor for the Detroit Red Wings.
When it comes to the Red Wings organization, they are in a good spot. They got beaten up by the Florida Panthers on Saturday, but they are still looking to hold down a spot in the postseason race. From the looks of it, they will compete down to the wire.
They may want to bulk up their roster a bit, but the truth is, they have already brought in an important piece this season. The team signed Patrick Kane to his one-year deal, signing him to a pro-rated $2.75 million contract. He would have been the type of player the Red Wings sought to acquire to beef up their forward core.
But, in reality, there's not much room to keep adding new faces to the forward core this season. They are likely to rock with what they have, which is okay. The defense core needs a piece or two, and they could stand to see Jeff Petry knocked down a tier.
However, the odds are the Red Wings will stand pat with what they got. Detroit needs to scrape together some more points along the way, but I expect them to pull the trigger on a minor deal at most.
Yzerman knows what he's doing, and I'm not expecting the team to go and seek out some big-name player. But there's something to be said about keeping the squad together and keeping the team's morale in a good spot. The locker room is in a good place and could help them stay moving full steam ahead down the stretch.
While the deadline inches closer, expect the Red Wings to remain cautious buyers.