Detroit has had strong depth on the back end for the majority of the season. With a trade market that isn’t the most robust, it appears they may be looking to take advantage of that as ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reports that the Red Wings are listening to offers on some of their blueliners.
While Kaplan’s report doesn’t specify which players in particular they’re listening on, the shorter list might be who they likely wouldn’t consider moving. Moritz Seider is clearly off the table while Jake Walman is having a career year and is on a value contract and likely isn’t going to be someone GM Steve Yzerman would be willing to part with. Beyond those two, however, all bets could be off.
Shayne Gostisbehere has been strong offensively as expected, notching 36 points in 57 games to lead all Detroit rearguards in scoring. He’s on a one-year, $4.125MM contract and a playoff contender could look to try to add him. That said, the Red Wings are squarely in the playoff mix themselves and moving out a key contributor might not be the right course of action if they’re trying to end their postseason drought.
Among their other defenders, Justin Holl hasn’t had quite the season Detroit was hoping for when they gave him $3.4MM per year for three seasons. He has often been the odd man out in their defensive rotation so it stands to reason that they might want to try to get out of those final two years. A right-shot defender, Holl’s handedness could give him a potential suitor or two. The late-summer acquisition of Jeff Petry helped create the logjam on the back end. With double retention on his contract, his price tag is down to a manageable $2.343MM through next season and is someone a few more teams could fit in. However, he has a 15-team no-trade clause and might not be inclined to leave his hometown team. Detroit also cannot pay down his contract anymore as two retentions is the maximum on a player.
As for their other left-shot blueliners, Ben Chiarot’s $4.75MM price tag through 2025-26 might be difficult for a lot of teams to absorb and while he isn’t playing big minutes like he did in Montreal, he’s still a top-four option for them. Olli Maatta, meanwhile, is more affordable at $3MM through next season although he’s being used exclusively on the third pairing; that AAV for that role is a little high. With Simon Edvinsson making good progress with AHL Grand Rapids, there’s less risk in moving a left-shot option knowing that the 2021 first-round is close to being ready to step in.
With the Red Wings holding down a Wild Card spot, it would be surprising to see Yzerman sell like he did last season. Frankly, adding to his group would be more than defensible. But with the market for blueliners not being the greatest, it appears as if he’s open to selling one even though there isn’t necessarily an obvious candidate to move for top value.
Detroit is one of the few playoff teams with ample cap space so they will have the ability to get creative between now and the March 8th trade deadline; clearing out a veteran on the back end would only open up more flexibility on that front unless they opt for a player-for-player swap. Either way, it appears as if they’ll be a team to keep an eye on in the coming days.
sweetg
Justin Holl has proven it was not toronto .he at best sixth defensemen. Only people who thought he is more are Keefe And Dubas. Rare bad decision by Steve Yzerman
HockeySenseNot
Yzerman is making a few rare bad decisions in the last while.
RedwingJoe
Fellow DRW fans
I’ve been a DRW fan longer than I wish to admit, so I’m a little surprised by all the negative comments regarding SY
He inherited a mess, and it takes several years to get us back. I like the positives of this team and just look at all the prospects in the system. Just one comment to consider… draft a few tough players from the western league and stop with the Swedes for a few years. We can’t have our boys getting pushed around especially in playoff hockey
detroitdave84
You know, it wasn’t a bad decision by Yzerman, it was a decision, a calculated low risk move that didn’t work out. Perspective matters.
User 318310488
Giving up Filip Hronek a BAD idea on Yzerman’s part.
wreckage
Ya, that 1st and 2nd he got for a guy who is gonna command 6M per plus going forward when they have depth coming was so bad.
HockeySenseNot
Well when you keep drafting core players to just send them away…that strikes me as spinning your tires. It’s not like they are just entering a re-build. The Red Wings have been perpetually re-building ever since Stevie Y has arrived there.
Nevermind that terrible 6th overall pick in 2018 that they wasted for absolutely nothing. Quinn Hughes was the very next pick…
Yeah, I think his shining star is dwindling.
It’s even been apparent that the Lightning success wasn’t his doing, but the staff around him (team is still trucking along).
Nope…I think he’s showing how a pretty mediocre GM works. Kind of reminds me of Treviling. Keep throwing darts, hoping something will finally stick.
User 318310488
Hronek has been aces! Yzerman screwed up and anyone that knows the NHL knows it!
User 318310488
I could not have said it better.
MotownWings
Yzerman came in and had a mess to clean up from Holland. Bad cap situation, bloated contracts for veterans on the down swing. Holland disregarded the future to keep the playoff streak alive. The Wings have cap space now and also have young talent coming up. Has Yzerman made a couple of blunders? For sure but name one GM who hasn’t.
Oh and regarding the 2018 draft. It was Holland who picked Zadina over Hughes. A little research goes a long way.
#
I’m all for being critical of SY, but he didn’t become GM of the Wings until after the ‘18 draft.
Johnny Z
Get yer facts straight! Zadina was what Kenny picked. There are only 2 players left on the team from the Holland era, it was that bad.
#
Hronek is a RHD, do the Wings need help on the right side? No, left is the weakness. He’s also due for a raise on his current contract and will be looking for both term and a higher $ amount. It was fine for them to move him.
HockeySenseNot
Good point and I’ll take the hit on that one lol. Hence my calling sign…
I’m not suggesting he’s a bad GM, just mediocre.
Time always tells of course, but through all these years, he really hasn’t blown my socks off. For the reputation he brought with him, and what he still gets…I just think he’s overrated.
HockeySenseNot
I’ll own that…lol
HockeySenseNot
I’ll own that…lmao
doghockey
No kidding.
detroitdave84
It clearly wasn’t at all since they have a young defenseman ready to come up! Hilarious!
C-Daddy
Holl not living up to that contract? You don’t say.
Johnny Z
Emily took down the part about the Wing’s blueline on the given link!!!!
Karlander
I could see unloading one of their D men and a high draft pick for someone better. This is the most likely idea I see Detroit pursuing. There are several talented D men available that could make Detroit a stronger playoff team.
Olddefense
The actual value of any decision only comes after the decision is made.
Will be tough to find any kind of prospective improvement to D in the current market unless there is a high prospect just itching, and pressuring to move to Detroit Redwings.
Maybe a more productive task would be to have the three greater than minus10 forwards practice backchecking and D zone assignments. Standing a yard away from your man watching as he fires it past Lyon or Reimer, isn’t completing the D zone coverage. Have seen WAY too many of these goals against.
Just an observation.
Babo1975
@Olddefense: Good points. The defense of Seider, Walman, and Chiarot is steady, and Petry and Ghost are decent. Adding a dman would have little positive effect, but some size and grit up front would help more.
Note: Seeing this on my comment section makes life very nice:
“17 comments are hidden because you muted the comment authors”
User 318310488
What’s Yzerman’s next big move? How about extend Perron and unload Berggren? Maybe he’ll go after Adam Erne! Lol.
Johnny Z
You will be dazzled, but you will never admit it! LOL
HockeySenseNot
That I hope I can admit to. I actually grew up a big Stevie Y fan. Even had his Red Wings jersey, living in Calgary.
Maybe that’s why I’m so heart broken now-a-days
L0L
detroitdave84
Yzerman has the team ready to make the playoffs a year ahead of many prognosticators yet there’s these nit pick people here criticizing 1 yr D signings