The Detroit Red Wings traded defenceman Nick Leddy to the St. Louis Blues. Detroit gets Jake Walman, Oskar Sundqvist, and a 2nd round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. Kevin Weekes broke news of the deal on Monday afternoon.
**Breaking News ** 📰🚨@DetroitRedWings trade Nick Leddy to @StLouisBlues . @espn @NHLNetwork @TSNHockey #HockeyTwitter pic.twitter.com/3XZ3j6BAML
— Kevin Weekes (@KevinWeekes) March 21, 2022
Nick Leddy Traded By Detroit Red Wings
Nick Leddy has been the type of player who’s been involved in trade requests by fans for a while now. While he was with the New York Islanders, they had a love-hate relationship and when his trade happened, they celebrated. It’s safe to say they could probably use him now instead of Zdeno Chara or Andy Greene. However, that’s another story. Now, Leddy has found his new home – away from Detroit.
The relationship with the Red Wings could’ve been better. Leddy was traded to Detroit for a second-round pick and Richard Panik. That took the Islanders out of cap chaos – and saved them from having to expose him to Seattle in the expansion draft. It was a good deal for both parties.
Most thought he was acquired to help Moritz Seider adapt but the rookie turned out to be perfect. Seider never needed any help and now he’s on the run for the Calder Trophy. The kid is alright. That left Leddy with no more burdens than he already had – be a top-four defenceman that could help the team in both areas. And to be fair, that’s what he was for them.
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Leddy gave the Red Wings all he had given the Islanders for four years: good transition plays between zones, a little sprinkle of offence and a semi-success in defence. The problem is, the Islanders work on a much more defensive system than Detroit does. And that didn’t do the defenceman any favours. He struggled with his defensive game in a team that also struggles in that department. It put both in a very delicate situation that led to the trade.
What This Means For The Future
Even though Leddy struggled, it doesn’t mean he was all bad, no good. He was still probably the third-best defenceman in Detroit – behind the rookies Seider and Gustav Lindstrom. That’s what made him a target for contender teams to add depth to their teams and the Blues ended up with him. Now that the Leddy trade has finally happened, the 30-year-old gets another fresh start – the fourth in his 12-year career – in a new team. It can be just what he needs to get himself back together and restructure his game.
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