The Trade Deadline Looms - Detroit Edition

What a crazy year it has been in the NHL.  From teams seeming almost unbeatable, to teams going 12 game losing streaks, to what looks like at least 30 different players scoring 30 or more goals by seasons end, and a goalie carousel of epic proportions...the season is moving so fast it is almost impossible to keep up.  And just like that we're just over a month away from the NHL trade deadline which is set to for Monday, February 25th.  With some teams making moves already, we're going to look first at how this seasons deadline could affect the Detroit Red Wings.

The first thing to note when figuring out what the Wings are planning to do is identify if they're likely to be buyers (a team looking to improve right now) or sellers (a team looking to build for the future).  Clearly the Wings are a team in a latter category and will be sellers at deadline.  Which means now it is time to figure out, what goods are for sale...four names jump right out at me, as they have been the focus of some rumors for quite some time now.  Those names are Nyquist, Vanek, Green, and Howard, but that is just to get us started. 

#25 Defenseman Mike Green, Anthony Mantha, #14 Gustav Nyquist celebrate a goal being scored.

Nyquist, who is usually a high 40 -mid 50-point scorer throughout his career is currently on pace for about 68 points as he already has put up 40 points so far this season.  He has never been a top line guy but has thrived over the years when he has been able to play against other 2nd and 3rd line players, it's a mismatch he has taken advantage of for quite some time.  It has come out to the press in the last few days that the asking price for the him begins at a 1st round pick in return, which has been given up for worst players.  To be honest, I wouldn't mind a 2nd round pick, if a good prospect was coming back the other way as well. 

So where could he end up?  I originally had St. Louis lined up for him a year or so ago as a replacement to Robby Fabbri when he tore his ACL, but that never happened.  And with where the Blues are now, I don't see them as buyers either.  Out west I think there are two teams who could use a solid scoring winger who many think should be contenders already.  One being Edmonton, imagine him on the wing of McJesus or Driasatil.  He could really help to add some offence to the struggling team.  Word is that they are open to trading former 4th overall pick in Puljujarvi.  So perhaps him and a 2nd round pick could work out, but I'd prefer a defense man in return, perhaps Evan Bouchard...but I'm dreaming there. 

The other team out west would be the Nashville Predators.  They're a team that sits 2nd in the Central Division and 4th in the Western Conference.  And while they're 2nd in the division in goals for, their PP could use some improvement.  A solid depth player who does well in space, like you'd get on a PP, could be a major asset to a team expecting to make a very deep run in this year’s playoffs.  Now what comes back, a 1st or a 2nd round pick has already been established...but what about prospects.  They have 2 high end forward prospects who I would love, but I don't think you're going to pry away Pettersson or Tolvanen from them.  Looking at players on the defensive side, I'll take one Dante Fabbro please.  But keep in mind as well, we could just get multiple picks like we did with Tatar last season. 

Moving on from the Goose, we have Vanek who was signed this summer for one purpose and that was to acquire assets at the trade deadline, and that's exactly what he will do.  He isn't the same guy he was when he signed his major contract with Minnesota, but he is serviceable on the 3rd line and still a big time PP guy who is still good for 20 goals in a season.   

In the case of Vanek, I see three main teams who may be interested in him as a PP specialist.  One being the Preds who we just talked about.  The others are the Vegas Golden Knights and the Columbus Blue Jackets.  Vegas is a team who has struggled to put the puck in the net this year as they have had some major players out of the lineup for some time.  And with the Blue Jackets, this is a team that is very deep up front and adding Vanek shouldn't upset the apple cart so to speak.  It could also show commitment to winning to both Panarin and Bobrovsky who are both free agent to be players and trade bait in their own right.  But my money is on both players staying right now and Vanek ending up there for a 3rd round pick. 

Moving on from the forwards we jump now to defense man Mike Green.  Green has been a prolific offensive defenseman throughout his career and is formerly a 30-goal score, but that was a decade ago.  Since coming to Detroit from Washington he has put up 104 PTS in 212 games over his first three seasons.  In this, his fourth season, he currently has 4G-15A for 19PTs, in 27 games, if he played all 82 games this year, he would have been on pace for 57 pts, his highest point total since 07-08, where he put up 56 PTS.  He also followed that up the next two seasons with 70PT campaigns.  But now at 33 years old, where does this former Norris candidate, right handed, offensive defenseman, and power play specialist, fit in the league? (That's a lot to consider, not to mention he has 1 more year on his current contract as well.)

I've identified 4 possible destinations for Green, the Leaf’s, Avalanche, Knights, and Islanders.  All of these teams have been selected because they could use an improved power play, for the most part.  While the Av's and Leaf’s both have top-10 ranked PP's, it never hurts to add depth to the special teams and both teams are a bit thin on defense.  In the Leaf’s case we also know how Mike Babcock covets right handed defenseman as well.  As for the Knights and the Islanders, both teams need to improve their PP's if they're looking to go on a deep run in the playoffs this year. It would also help the Islanders make a real push to make the playoffs this year, even though they currently sit 1st in the Metro (somehow) at this moment. 

For the Leaf’s it would be a hard deal to pull off due to the term left on Greens contract going into next season, so they're out for me.  While I think Colorado could be a great fit, they don't have the forward depth either, so maybe we could send Green with Goose or Vanek as well...then maybe...we can pry Ottawa's 1st round pick out of Joe Sakic’s hands...getting that pick from Colorado would leave Detroit with two 1st round picks that will be lottery picks in this years draft, both likely being in the top-5.  So this would have to be considered a blockbuster of a trade even if it is just two players for one draft pick.  And while I'm a dreamer when it comes to these things, this one is a true pipe dream as I don't see them giving up this important of a draft pick therefore Colorado is out as well.  

The Knights are a good team with solid forward depth and could use the boost on a 2nd unit power play as well, plus there is a trade history there between the two GM's.  The recent trade history goes back to just last season where Detroit sent Tatar to Vegas for three draft picks.  Vegas has since gone on to send Tatar to Montreal for Max Pacioretty who is finally finding his groove out in the desert.  And though they have plenty of picks available to send back, they're a bit thin in prospects. 

So, my vote goes to the Islanders.  Making this move would prove that they consider themselves a serious contender in the Metro Division and would presumably improve their PP which currently ranks at 25th in the league.  They also have some major bargaining chips to send back as well outside of draft picks. Personally, I would be pushing for USA NTDP alumni players such as Bode Wilde, Kieffer Bellows, or Oliver Wahlstrom.  These are all players I have seen live over the past 3 seasons working with USA Hockey and I can tell you that these guys are all the real deal.  My favorite of the bunch is Bode Wilde though.  When trying to compare him when talking to people who haven't been able to see him play live, I tend to use the comparison that he is like Brad Stuart combined with Nick Kronwall when the played as a pairing during the 2008 Wings cup run.  But I would gladly be happy with any of those players listed, or some combination of picks.

Now onto the goaltender, Jimmy Howard.  Goalies are a tricky one when it comes to trades, usually they happen in the off-season because a team who would be a contender generally already has a bonafide starting goalie in their net.  But as we've seen in my Goalie Conundrum articles, the goalie situations are not as clear cut as they seem...so perhaps there could be a home for Jimmy on a potential contender or a team looking to make a playoff push.

I think there could be 3 or 4 teams he could be a fit for but most of them are out of the playoff picture at this point.  In the east I could see Pittsburgh as a fit based on Matt Murray's history of injuries.  Casey DeSmith has certainly held his own, but if Murray isn't good to go Howard could prove a reliable veteran backup to DeSmith.  His contract is up after this season as well so that isn't something that could hinder his attractiveness if the Pens were looking for a veteran goalie. 

Also, in the east I see Florida as a real fit.  The Panthers consistently out shoot their opponents, but they are just not able to keep the puck out of the net this year.  Both Luongo and Reimer have some atrocious stats for a team that was expected to make the playoffs this season.  Both net minders have over 3.00 GAA and under .900 SV%.  Howard on the other hand has a 2.78 GAA and a .915 SV% which is right on for his career average...for one of the worst teams in the league this year.  Though Florida is out of the playoffs now, adding Howard could help them push for a wild card spot if they can keep the puck out of their own net a bit better.  And they also have 2-3 games in hand on most teams out of the east which should help as well.

Looking out west I see similar situations to Florida's in Arizona and St. Louis.  While both are out of the playoffs and have a low percentage chance of making it at this point a big problem they both have is that they’re not getting good goaltending. And with how tight the race is in the west, if either team could manage to go on a nice little winning streak, they could easily steal a wild card spot as the top wild card spot and the last place team are only separated by 10 PTs...that's 5 games. 

So, while it is unlikely that Howard will get moved at this time and the apparent asking price is a 1st round pick, but I wouldn't put money on him being moved.  If he just so happens to get shipped out of town, I would imagine one of these teams could be a suitor for him.  And if I were one that is out of the playoffs at this moment, I'd make the move for him right now...there isn't a game to waste at this point. 

And while there aren't many players off limits from the Wings who could be moved these players have been the prime candidates throughout the season and in past years as well.  We have about a month to see what will or will not transpire.  I don't have any insider info on how this will all play out, this is purely my own outside the box speculation and maybe a bit of wishful thinking as well.  All I know is that I have called players being moved in the past, but now I intend to start getting it all in writing.  As for what's next, I'll be looking at some key trade bait players from different teams throughout the league and see if I can gauge where they could end up as well.