{"id":1723,"date":"2016-09-27T11:02:36","date_gmt":"2016-09-27T15:02:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonhockey.com\/?p=1723"},"modified":"2016-09-28T07:34:25","modified_gmt":"2016-09-28T11:34:25","slug":"red-wings-trade-jacob-trouba","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2016\/09\/27\/red-wings-trade-jacob-trouba\/","title":{"rendered":"The Red Wings Should Trade for Jacob Trouba"},"content":{"rendered":"

An attractive\u00a0asset became available to the Detroit Red Wings when news<\/a>\u00a0of <\/span>Jacob Trouba<\/a><\/b>\u2019s trade request\u00a0from the Winnipeg Jets<\/strong> rocked the hockey world on the weekend. It came during the tense second period of the World Cup of Hockey<\/strong>\u2019s semi-final game between Canada<\/strong> and Russia<\/strong>. Suddenly, every Detroit Red Wings<\/strong> fan\u2019s attention was ripped from their television and focused on their Twitter feeds. What will the Jets do? Where will Trouba go? <\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s no secret that the Red Wings biggest need is on defense. Every since Brian Rafalski<\/a><\/strong> and Nick Lidstrom<\/strong> retired, their blueline just hasn\u2019t been the same. Having\u00a0<\/span>Niklas Kronwall<\/a><\/b>\u00a0lessened the blow, but with every passing season, Kronwall is a year older. His body just doesn\u2019t hold up the way it used to. The Red Wings are now in a position where they have no top-two defensemen and only two\u00a0right-handed shots.<\/span><\/p>\n

Are you starting to understand\u00a0why Red Wings fans are paying attention to the Trouba situation? <\/span><\/p>\n

Both relevant parties released statements yesterday evening. Trouba\u2019s said that his decision to request a trade has nothing to do with the city of Winnipeg or the organization. He just wants to play on the right side and the Jets have too much depth on that side. This is a problem that would not exist in Detroit. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Jets\u2019 statement, on the other hand, said that Trouba was still part of the organization\u2019s long-term plans and no further statement would be made until the matter is resolved. The message from\u00a0<\/span>Kevin Cheveldayoff<\/b>, then, is fairly straightforward: If you want Jacob Trouba, it\u2019s going to cost you.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Going Rate<\/h2>\n

But what is the going rate for a top-two, right-handed defenseman? For an answer, one needs only look at one of the bigger transactions this summer<\/span>. By trading Taylor Hall<\/a> <\/b>for Adam Larsson<\/a><\/b> one-for-one, Peter Chiarelli,\u00a0<\/b>and the Edmonton Oilers<\/strong> set a very high value for a top-two to top-four defenseman. Let\u2019s have a look at how Trouba compares to Larsson to see if the Jets can reap a similar return:<\/p>\n

\"Trouba<\/p>\n

At first glance, these two players seem to be pretty similar. Trouba has a bit more of an offensive upside, but he also sees more time on the powerplay than Larsson does. The real differentiator between these two players, which is the one thing that makes Trouba more valuable, is their possession numbers. In 2015-16, Trouba posted an even-strength Corsi for percentage of 51.75, while Larsson only managed 44.59. And this isn\u2019t just a one-time fluke. Looking at their career numbers, Trouba has the better average even-strength Corsi for\u00a0of 51.75 percent compared to Larsson\u2019s 48.56. <\/span><\/p>\n

So What Is Trouba\u00a0Worth To The Red Wings? <\/span><\/h2>\n

For one, Trouba\u2019s young and has a very high ceiling.\u00a0<\/span>At twenty-two years old, he\u2019d be the youngest defenseman on the team and has cracked the 20 point barrier in each of his three NHL seasons. On a team that had nearly 600 turnovers last season, he\u2019d help considerably in puck possession with the way he carries the puck up the ice and sets up in the offensive zone. Trouba had a better even strength Corsi for percentage\u00a0than four of Detroit\u2019s six active defensemen last season. Interestingly enough, Brendan Smith<\/a><\/strong> had the best percentage at\u00a056.93, and he played the fewest amount of games due to being a healthy scratch. Detroit would immediately place Trouba in\u00a0a top-two or top-four role.<\/p>\n

But, as we\u2019ve seen with Larsson, a trade for Trouba\u00a0won\u2019t come easy. Detroit doesn\u2019t have a recent number one overall draft pick to trade. They\u2019ve got some\u00a0intriguing active forwards, a glut of young defensemen who risk\u00a0being exposed to waivers\u00a0and draft picks. How do you match Taylor Hall in average forwards, young defensemen, and draft picks? It starts with something like Gustav Nyquist<\/a><\/strong>, Xavier Ouellet<\/a><\/strong>, and a first round draft pick in 2017. In this deal, the Jets get a promising young left-handed defenseman, a top-six forward, and (likely) a top-15 draft selection. It\u2019s not a bad deal, but Trouba is an undoubtedly talented\u00a0player with a high value attached to his position. So the Jets would likely counter asking for more, perhaps something like Anthony Mantha<\/a><\/strong>, Ouellet, and the 2017 first round draft pick.<\/span><\/p>\n

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How Much Is Too Much?<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n

Here is where it starts to get murky. Just how much should Detroit give up for this defenseman? Well,\u00a0they have an abundance of forwards this year. Fans criticized Holland’s offseason moves <\/span>in that they limit opportunities for young players such as Mantha and Andreas Athanasiou<\/a><\/strong> to develop at the NHL level. This team has a\u00a0history of over-ripening its\u00a0prospects, Mantha and Athanasiou are going to have to work extra hard to log NHL minutes this year. That being said, it is absolutely worth it for Detroit to give up Mantha, Ouellet, and their 2017 first round draft pick. If Mantha and Ouellet aren’t going to get ice time anyways, the Red Wings might as well pick up an NHL-ready right-handed defenseman for them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is an asset that the Red Wings desperately need if they want to continue their playoff streak and remain competitive against teams in their division. The young forwards on these teams\u00a0get better and better every year and Detroit is not keeping up. Not to mention that their\u00a0division rivals are likely also kicking tires on Trouba. Especially the Buffalo Sabres<\/strong> and Toronto Maple Leafs<\/strong>, both of whom are in rebuild mode and would love the energy a young puck moving defenseman like Trouba could bring to their roster. <\/span><\/p>\n

So Holland has got to get on this fast and find a way to add Trouba to his roster. It’s\u00a0an opportunity that doesn\u2019t come around often and the perfect fix to a glaringly obvious problem with the roster. And if he\u00a0makes the trade now, they could even keep the travel costs down.<\/span><\/p>\n

What do you think? Should the Red Wings make an offer? Who would you give up to add Jacob Trouba to the roster?<\/span><\/p>\n

Main Photo<\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n