Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland was on Sportsnet 960 radio this morning and revealed that his team would be going with the 7-3-1 protection scheme and would not give up any prospects or draft picks in order to make a deal with Vegas to protect any extra players. While other teams have been discussing deals with Vegas to give them some assurance of who they will lose, Holland admitted that after missing the playoffs for the first time in more than two decades, he can’t afford to give up any future assets.
A 7-3-1 protection scheme is interesting for the Red Wings, as there was at least some speculation that they would need to protect four defensemen. Instead, they’ll likely focus on protecting any and all young assets in their system, and try to rebuild for the future. That future looked pretty good last night when the Grand Rapids Griffins took home the Calder Cup, though AHL success doesn’t always translate to the big club.
With the Golden Knights already expected to have deals in the works with clubs like Anaheim, Chicago and Columbus, the Red Wings won’t fall into any trap of spending their future to protect a player now. Even if it means leaving a player like Justin Abdelkader—who was considered a key piece of the team just a year ago—available, Holland is firmly focused on the rebuild in Detroit. That said, he also touched on the idea that he’d like to get back into the playoffs as soon as next season. He truly believes that getting into the tournament gives you a chance at the Stanley Cup, as Nashville showed this year going from the last seed to the Stanley Cup Finals. After a year in which Detroit registered just 79 points, it would take a big bounce-back for them to fight their way into the postseason next year.