At the time of publication, Wyatt Kaiser still hasn't come to an agreement with the Chicago Blackhawks, and there may be a chance this contract stalemate lasts into training camp. With the Hawks recently signing the unproven Frank Nazar to a seven-year deal, there may be a good reason why Kaiser's holding out.
But if that holdout persists, why shouldn't Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman inquire? One look at the Blackhawks blueliners, and they got cornerstones like Alex Vlasic and Artyom Levshunov, plus Sam Rinzel, Kevin Korchinski, and Nolan Allan under contract. Not to mention, Connor Murphy's the veteran presence tasked with leading the kids.
Then, there's Kaiser, who could be the odd man out by default, especially with no deal at the moment. If Kaiser's looking for a contract length closer to the ballpark of something that Nazar got, it only increases the chances of a trade, and, despite just 98 games of NHL experience, someone like Kaiser would be an incredible pickup for Detroit.
Wyatt Kaiser would bring an edge, youth, to the Detroit Red Wings
Kaiser's heading into his age-23 season, and he's not going to produce like Axel Sandin-Pellikka eventually will. Heck, he may not even hit Simon Edvinsson levels. But his puck-moving ability's something the Wings can use, even if he's primarily only playing between 17 and 18 minutes per game.
We know Detroit can put up a high-octane front when they're playing consistent hockey, and a sequence-starter like Kaiser would be the catalyst for more chances here. Plus, he'd be an immediate upgrade over someone like Erik Gustafsson, who'd sidle in as the seventh defenseman in a place like Chicago.
But what also impresses me about Kaiser is that he's not afraid to sacrifice the body and block shots, and he's got 149 of them already. Also despite playing for the lowly Blackhawks, Kaiser's on-ice save percentage at even strength is an incredible 91.8 through those 98 matchups, and he's someone who can help out a historically bad penalty kill.
If the Hawks stalemate with Kaiser continues as camp nears, or if it even lasts into camp, if I'm Steve Yzerman, I'm picking up the phone, offering Erik Gustafsson and a second-round pick, and I'm bringing in Kaiser. If I have to pay a little more, I'll have no problem doing so.
He's also young enough that he won't get in any prospect's way, either. Now, if only the Wings could find a way to dump off Justin Holl's contract in the process - probably wouldn't be Chicago - and if they brought in someone like Kaiser and signed him, their outlook just got a lot better.
Kaiser may not have 100 games to his name just yet, but he's proven himself in Chicago. We'll see if the Hawks end up inking Kaiser to a deal in the near future.