The Detroit Red Wings are off to a much better-than-anticipated start and looking to keep the party going.
The club has found success up and down the lineup, with scoring coming from the top, and grit throughout the lineup.
Some of the Red Wings’ most valuable contributions have come from its blueline core. That blueline core has grown exponentially thanks to the emergence of young members like Jacob Bernard-Docker, Albert Johansson, and, most notably, Axel Sandin-Pellikka.
Sandin-Pellikka, who was going to be somewhat of an experiment this season, has blown away expectations so far. That, and the consistent play from the aforementioned defensemen has now put the Red Wings into a bind.
The Red Wings have two veteran D-men who are now, all of a sudden, on the outside looking in. Specifically, that would be Erik Gustafsson and Travis Hamonic. Gustafsson was waived at the start of the season, while Hamonic remains with the team.
But that may not be the case for long. An insider David Pagnotta noted, GM Steve Yzerman is amenable to moving one of this surplus blueliners.
Pagnotta noted in an October 16 piece in the Fourth Period, stating: “There is some talk that the Wings are looking at and are open to moving some of their defencemen, and I think there’s mutual interest there from the player side of things.”
Hamonic and Gustafsson were seen as potential everyday pieces. However, the play of the younger blueline members has essentially rendered the veterans redundant, as Pagnotta noted:
“Those are a couple of veteran pieces, different type of defencemen, but veteran pieces that they brought in. And it doesn’t look like there’s much room for some of these guys. I think they’ve started to explore that possibility of moving them or at least letting everybody know that there’s some availability there with respect to those guys.”
If that’s indeed the case, a trade could be on the horizon. How a trade or trades shape up largely depends on other teams’ needs. Injuries have already begun taking their toll around the league. So, it would be a surprise to see the Red Wings thrust into trade speculation.
Clubs looking for affordable, reliable blueline help could pay a premium for both Gustafsson and Hamonic. It’s worth pointing out that both are on expiring contracts. That could make moving them especially attractive.
Hamonic comes with a $1 million cap hit, while Gustafsson has $2 million left this season. Fans should keep an eye out for injuries to defensemen this season, as that could open the door for a trade involving the Red Wings.