The NHL trade deadline is just around the corner on April 12th. While it’s too early to start talking about the specifics of potential deals, this is around the time where we’ll begin to see what teams are looking to be buyers and which will likely be selling. News has already come out that the Nashville Predators may be looking to move on from a lot of their roster with only three players (Roman Josi, Ryan Ellis and Pekka Rinne) being untouchable. As the deadline approaches, another team that finds themselves as likely sellers are the Detroit Red Wings. What are the Red Wings trade possibilities?
Detroit Red Wings Have Assets For Trade Possibilities
Detroit fits the profile of a classic seller. They’re near the bottom of the standings and possess many players with expiring contracts. The Red Wings are (as they should be) all in on a rebuild and have no reason to acquire assets. Furthermore, general manager Steve Yzerman has set Detroit up to be a selling team the last couple of off seasons, signing multiple short-term contracts with players that may have some value to a contending team looking for one more piece.
The Red Wings are clearly set to sell current assets for future ones this deadline. The question remains, however, who will be headed out? Who is available and who might be a surprising name to hear?
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The Sure Things
Recent reports suggest that there are three players on the Detroit Red Wings that teams around the league have interest in acquiring. On Tuesday, TSN’s Frank Seravalli reported that Bobby Ryan, Luke Glendening and Marc Staal are all drawing interest from teams around the NHL. While we know who is drawing interest, it is important to look at why that may be.
Bobby Ryan
Bobby Ryan has been a solid bet to be traded since he signed his contract in October. The Red Wings signed Ryan to a one-year contract that gave the forward a chance to feature near the top of the lineup. Meanwhile, The Red Wings filled out a spot in their top-six and a gained a solid locker room presence. The Red Wings and Ryan marriage worked, but now it’s time for that to end. Ryan is likely the most attractive player for a trade on the Detroit roster. The forward has scored nine points in 20 games and only makes $1 million. He could also be a leader for a team looking to make a playoff push. The Detroit Red Wings are likely to part with Ryan sooner rather than later.
Luke Glendening
Luke Glendening may not be a household name, but he certainly could be a valuable name on the trade market. The long-time Red Wing is a tenacious centre that is considered a defensive specialist. The centre received Selke votes last season despite scoring just nine points. Glendening is winning 67.9 percent in the faceoff circle this year and is tasked with some tough shifts having started 64.4 percent of his shifts in the defensive zone. The Michigan native isn’t likely to fetch a large trade package, but he would certainly be attractive to a team that wants to shore up their bottom-six with a defensive specialist.
Marc Staal
Marc Staal is another player that most could have guessed would be on the trade block as soon as he arrived via trade from the New York Rangers. Detroit ate Staal’s contract and took a second round pick from New York in the process and will now likely look to flip Staal. It is predictable that the Red Wings are looking to move Staal, but it is interesting that anyone’s interested. The defender is long-past his best years and comes with a sizable cap hit. He’s a veteran presence, and many teams look to add defensive depth at the deadline. Still, Staal has been given the opportunity to succeed in Detroit and has not converted on that chance. If the Red Wings can get anything out of Staal, they should jump on it.
Detroit Red Wings Trade Surprise
While there are some obvious Red Wings’ trade targets, who could be on the block that is a surprise? Detroit needs some major assets but don’t appear to have any trade targets that could fetch a high-level package. Unless they decided to see what interest exists for Anthony Mantha.
Anthony Mantha
Mantha’s name is one most people would be surprised to hear as a potential Red Wings’ trade victim, especially after re-signing in Detroit this offseason. That being said, the promising forward is having another up-and-down season. Head coach Jeff Blashill healthy scratched Mantha earlier in the season and the two have never seemed to be a great fit for each other. If the Red Wings trade Mantha, they’ll likely regret it. The forward boasts strong possession numbers, a big body that he uses to be strong on the puck and has a low PDO at just 93.0. With his skill, it’s likely his luck will turn around soon. If it doesn’t, though? Mantha could be an incredibly attractive asset for a team looking for a top-six scorer.
The Red Wings could take a long and hard look at trading their talented winger. He’s 26 and they may be in a position where if they keep him, they may not be able to rebuild while he’s still valuable. Trading Anthony Mantha could net them a package that accelerates the rebuild faster than any other player they may look at trading. Mantha is incredibly talented, but they might take a serious look at dealing him.
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