The Detroit Red Wings could be laying the groundwork for the NHL trade deadline by extending forward Sheldon Dries. The Wings signed the 31-year-old to a two-year deal with a $875K cap hit.
Now, news of this extension kind of flew under the radar. Dries hasn’t played in the NHL since the 2022-23 season. That year, he hit the ice in 63 games for the Vancouver Canucks. He had a decent season then, scoring 11 goals and 17 points, while averaging 11:32 of ice time.
Since then, Dries spent the following season in the AHL with the Abbotsford Canucks. He then moved on to the Red Wings organization, spending two seasons with the Grand Rapids Griffins. More recently he was briefly on the Red Wings' roster without playing a game before being assigned back to the Griffins on Jan. 30.
On the surface, this deal might seem inconsequential. But considering how the trade market is shaping up, it could very well be an insurance move on the part of Steve Yzerman. While the chatter surrounding the Red Wings is their search for a right-shot defender and potentially a top-six forward, the club is likely hedging its bets ahead of the trade deadline.
Let’s assume for a minute that the Red Wings take a big swing at the deadline. They’ll either need to trade a current roster piece or move out money to make the numbers work. One of the names on the Red Wings block has been Andrew Copp. Similarly, someone like J.T. Compher or potentially Michael Rasmussen could be on the move.
If that’s the case, the Red Wings will need someone who can step up and take over a fourth-line role. That’s where Dries could come into the picture. Sure, betting on a guy who hasn’t played in the NHL in three years is a bit of a stretch.
But in the grander scheme of things, the Red Wings won’t find a guy with NHL experience to take over a fourth-line role just anywhere. Dries can play down the middle and on the wings. Even if the club doesn’t make any significant moves at the deadlines, Dries could be a guy who gets a call-up in case of injuries or becomes a depth option heading down the stretch.
Red Wings erring on the side of caution at deadline
Fans love it when their favorite teams make big swings. Certainly, going for Quinn Hughes and Rasmus Andersson would qualify as such. But then again, the Red Wings aren’t chasing big deals for the sake of it.
This trade deadline, the Wings are erring on the side of caution. There’s no point in taking a big swing now, as the club is still not quite in Stanley Cup contender status. Yes, it has been a fantastic season. But the fact is that the Red Wings have young talent in the NHL and plenty on the way.
Like the Montreal Canadiens, the Red Wings are in a position where they must let their rising stars find their groove in the NHL. Once the club has established itself, a big-name free agent or blockbuster trade could make sense. Such a trade would be the piece to put the Wings over the top.
That situation could come sooner than expected. But for now, the Red Wings are doing the right thing. Selling off young pieces now would be counterproductive in the grander scheme of the Yzerplan.
A strong playoff run this season would help determine exactly where the rebuild lies. That situation may signal that the team is ready for major additions. Until then, the best course of action is to be patient and wait for the right moves to materialize.