With another excited trade deadline in the books, the Detroit Red Wings came away with two players that improve their roster and didn’t have to mortgage much of their future to acquire them. Let’s take a look at the players the Red Wings targeted and where they ended up.
9. Oliver Ekman-Larsson – The Red Wings would love to acquire the offensive defenseman, but the cost would be way too high, likely costing them at least one of Dylan Larkin, Tomas Tatar, or Gustav Nyquist. There is no rush to more Ekman-Larsson, but perhaps Ken Holland could create a package around Brendan Smith and Tomas Jurco to acquire him. Arizona did not end up moving Ekman-Larsson, opting to keep the young defenseman as part of their rebuild. Seeing what the Rangers paid to acquire Keith Yandle, it’s probably for the best that the Red Wings did not meet Arizona’s demands for a better Ekman-Larsson.
8. Roman Polak – Toronto’s defenseman could occupy a third-pairing spot and help on the penalty kill. His cost should not be terribly high, but there’s a chance that the market and demand for defensemen could drive up the price higher than the Red Wings are willing to pay. Surprising, Polak stayed put in Toronto. A number of teams were rumored to attempt to acquire the Maple Leafs’ blueliner, but no one offered the right package for Polak.
7. Matt Hendricks – Perhaps costing the Red Wings only a late round draft pick, gritty Matt Hendricks could help the Red Wings form a formidable fourth line alongside Luke Glendening and Drew Miller. This new iteration of the Grind Line could pester the best lines in the Eastern Conference. Hendricks also has experience killing penalties and winning shootouts. Hendricks will stay put on Edmonton’s fourth line for now. His name was not mentioned in rumors today on social media, so he either was not in demand or Edmonton was not looking to part with his services.
6. Erik Cole – Dallas’ power forward has plenty of playoff experience and will fill any role the Red Wings ask him to fill. I’m sure Dallas GM Jim Nill has a few prospects in Detroit’s system he could try to pry away. Cole could add some depth to an already deep forward lineup. Pairing him with Riley Sheahan and Teemu Pulkkinen could pay dividends. We got him! The Red Wings acquired Erik Cole and a conditional pick from Dallas for prospects Mattias Backman and Mattias Janmark, and a second round pick. The conditional choice depends on if the Red Wings make it to the Eastern Conference Finals. Cole could wind up playing alongside Sheahan or Henrik Zetterberg on Wednesday.
5. Alexander Semin – This trade would only benefit the Red Wings if Carolina retains a good portion of Semin’s salary. He is a high risk, high reward potential acquisition, but could enjoy a career renaissance in Detroit playing alongside Pavel Datsyuk. His right-handed shot would be welcomed in the Red Wings’ lineup. No one appeared to be interested in Semin’s trainwreck of a contract. Carolina still has Semin rostered for quite a few years. They could look to make a move in the offseason to unload his contract, while likely retaining some salary, to a team that can help turn Alex Semin around.
4. Adam Larsson – the former fifth overall draft pick of the New Jersey Devils has struggled to establish himself among the Devils’ blueliners. If the Red Wings could pick up Larsson or fellow Devil Marek Zidlicky, their defense would improve. Larsson would fit right in among Swedes Niklas Kronwall and Jonathon Ericsson and may not require a huge return for acquiring his services. While the Devils did not part with Larsson, they did with Zidlicky. The right-handed defenseman is coming to a hockey rink near you after the Red Wings acquired Marek Zidlicky from the New Jersey Devils for a conditional third round pick. The condition of this choice depends on if the Red Wings reach the finals.
3. Jeff Petry – Michigan-born and a right-handed shot? Jeff Petry has long been linked to the Red Wings in the rumor column. Until now, the Red Wings have not met Edmonton’s demands for the defenseman. A mid-level prospect and a draft choice could likely bring in Petry. Edmonton dealt Jeff Petry to the Montreal Canadiens for a couple of draft picks. While Andrej Sekera and Cody Franson netted a first round pick, Petry did not, and some wonder if Edmonton could have held out for more in return.
2. Mike Green – While his defense is not his strong point, Green’s offensive flair is exactly what the Red Wings are looking for. The Capitals acquisition of Tim Gleason solidifies their defense, so Green may no longer be on the market. A conditional draft choice plus a player could net Green if the Capitals are looking to deal him. It would be nice to see Green in Detroit after the Red Wings traded his draft pick to the Capitals for Robert Lang at the 2004 trade deadline. Green was not dealt and will stay in DC for the rest of the season. It’s good news for him, as the Capitals are looking awfully dangerous for a playoff run. Washington features one of their deepest teams in recent history, especially on the blue line.
1. Dion Phaneuf – I am convinced that a change in scenery will get Phaneuf back on the right track. His stock has never been lower and if the Leafs are willing to keep some of his salary, Phaneuf could be a great acquisition for Detroit’s top four defense. His cannon of a shot would certainly bolster an already strong power play for the Red Wings. Detroit was pushing hard to acquire Phaneuf from Toronto, but in the end, their demands were just too high. Before trading for Marek Zidlicky, Toronto was asking for either Brendan Smith or Anthony Mantha as part of the deal according to different sources. The Wings would not budge, but could look to acquire Phaneuf in the offseason for the right price.
Note: Bleacher Report produced a similar article to this and featured David Legwand as a potential trade option for the Red Wings. LOL. Legwand was not dealt and Bleacher Report still does not know a thing about the Red Wings.
Red Wings Intelligence 