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Deadline Primer: Detroit Red Wings

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With the trade deadline fast approaching, we continue our look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? As we continue with the Atlantic Division, here is a look at the Detroit Red Wings.

By every metric, the Detroit Red Wings should be total sellers at the deadline and they have a laundry list of notable UFA’s to move. Yet, the team claims they would prefer to re-sign starting goaltender Jimmy Howard, top-six forward Gustav Nyquist, and dependable defenseman Nick Jensen. There is also word that veterans Thomas Vanek and Niklas Kronwall are happy in Detroit and unwilling to waive their No-Trade Clauses. That doesn’t leave much on the table.

In most cases, these rumors could be dismissed as the team simply trying to up the offers on their available rentals. But not in Detroit. The fatal flaw of the current Red Wings franchise and GM Ken Holland is total, unapologetic loyalty to long-time players. If a team says they won’t move someone or will only do so for a first-round pick, this is the one team worth believing. It could be a quiet deadline in Detroit.

Record

23-28-7, seventh in the Atlantic Division

Deadline Status

Moderate Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$5.06MM in full-season cap hit, 0/3 used salary cap retention slots, 48/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2019: DET 1st, DET 2nd, NYI 2nd, DET 3rd, DET 4th, DET 5th, BUF 5th, CLB 5th, DET 6th, DET 7th
2020: DET 1st, DET 2nd, DET 3rd, DET 4th, DET 5th, DET 6th, DET 7th

Trade Chips

Of course, the aforementioned players are the top trade chips that the team has. Howard and Nyquist are having great years and are surely drawing plenty of attention. Will Detroit get the first-round pick they desire to move either? That remains to be seen. Jensen and Kronwall could both step in as a solid bottom-pair addition for a contender, while Vanek would fill his frequent role as a capable depth addition to any forward corps. The fact remains that if any of these players want to stay in Detroit beyond this season, the Red Wings are unlikely to move them, extension in place or not.

So looking elsewhere, Luke Witkowski is a UFA that the Red Wings don’t seem as attached to. The market may be limited for the versatile skater, but if a team wants to take a shot, Detroit will be willing to move on. Recently waived and demoted, Martin Frk is in need of a change of scenery. Frk is a restricted free agent this summer and any number of teams might like to get a look at how he fits in their system down the stretch. The one-dimensional forward is more valuable now that he has cleared waivers and can be sent back and forth. Wade Megan, Dylan McIlrath, Brian Lashoff, and Harri Sateri are all free agents as well who could be targeted as deep depth additions.

The Jonathan Bernier signing looks like a mistake so far and the Red Wings seem eager to re-sign Howard rather than give Bernier the starting job. If another team is willing to take on the remaining two years of Bernier’s contract, Detroit would move him. Luke Glendening is another term player who could be on the move. He is still well-liked by the organization, but if the market is there they could move him. As always, if there was any way to move Justin Abdelkader or Danny DeKeyser, you would think Detroit would pull the trigger. Then again there’s that whole loyalty thing…

Five Players To Watch For: F Gustav Nyquist, D Nick Jensen, F Martin Frk, F Luke Glendening, G Harri Sateri

Team Needs

1) Cap Space: For several years now, the Red Wings have had one of the highest payrolls in the NHL, yet have been one of the league’s worst teams. That’s not a good mix. The flip side of wanting to re-sign top free agents, like Howard and Nyquist, is that you’re not opening up any more cap space. If Detroit wants to be players on the free agent market this summer, they need to try to move out some of their more cumbersome cap hits if possible.

2) Picks and Prospects: The Red Wings have a lot of good talent in the AHL and some others still at the junior and collegiate level. Adding picks, especially 2019 picks in a deep, talented draft class, is always helpful, though. However, there should room for some camp battles next season, particularly up front, so some pro-ready forward prospects would also be helpful.

East Notes: Simmonds, Zuccarello, Senators, Rasmussen

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Flyers winger Wayne Simmonds projects to be one of the top rental forwards available between now and next month’s trade deadline.  In an appearance on the NHL Network (video link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman mentioned that the Predators are a team that has been linked to the 30-year-old.  Nashville has plenty of cap room to absorb Simmonds’ $3.975MM deal this season and has enough players on below-market contracts that it’s certainly possible that they could fit him in on an extension as well.  His 15 goals on the year would rank second to only Filip Forsberg among Nashville players and GM David Poile is known for trying to make a splash around the deadline.

Elsewhere around the Eastern Conference:

  • In the same video, Friedman notes that Rangers winger Mats Zuccarello has seen his value take a hit with the way he’s played this season. The veteran came into this season with at least 49 points in each of the last five years but he has been limited to just 18 in 32 games so far while dealing with groin issues.  Zuccarello is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and with New York in rebuilding mode, it appears quite likely that he’ll be dealt although the return may not be as high as it seemed heading into the season.
  • The Senators will be without center Colin White until after the All-Star break, notes Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. He’s dealing with a shoulder injury sustained back on Thursday against Los Angeles.  White very quietly sits second in rookie scoring this season with 26 points in 44 games.  Meanwhile, Garrioch adds that defenseman Justin Falk is also nearing a return from a concussion sustained late last month while fellow blueliner Ben Harpur is taking contact in practice and should be able to return in the near future as well.
  • Detroit has placed forward Michael Rasmussen on injured reserve, reports MLive’s Ansar Khan. The move was done to create a roster spot so the Red Wings could activate defenseman Danny DeKeyser, who returns after missing the last 19 games with a fractured wrist.  Rasmussen last played on January 5th, meaning that he has already missed the required seven days from a back-dated IR placement so he’ll be eligible to be activated at any time.

Detroit’s Trevor Daley Out Three To Five Weeks With Broken Foot

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The Detroit Red Wings dealt with numerous injuries at the start of the year, especially on defense. In fact, the team was initially forced to start the season with four rookies in their lineup. Those days could be returning for the Red Wings. Already without Mike Green and Danny DeKeyser, head coach Jeff Blashill revealed late Monday that defenseman Trevor Daley will be out for three to five weeks after breaking his foot in a pre-game skate, according to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free-Press.

“I didn’t think it was a big deal. Then it’s a big deal,” Blashill said after the Red Wings’ 4-3 shootout loss to the Florida Panthers.

The loss of Daley doesn’t help a team that is already missing quite a bit of veteran talent. Green has been out with a foot/ankle injury since Dec. 14, while DeKeyser has been out since Dec. 4 with a hand injury. Blashill said both players remain “weeks away.” While the 35-year-old Daley has seen his playing time drop this season, averaging just 18:59 on the ice, he remained a steady player on the ice. However, the team has really struggled with Green out of the lineup. The team is 13-8-2 with Green in the lineup and just 2-11-5 without him. The team will have to rely on some of their rookies more. While the team has gotten solid play from Dennis Cholowski and Filip Hronek this season, both have had their ups and downs all season, especially on the defensive end.

“Our record is reflective,” Blashill said. “When those guys have been out, we haven’t won enough games. Now what has to happen is guys that are here have to play great hockey. I’ve said that before — the amount that you miss guys depends on the level of which the players you have available play. We’ve got guys that I think have some better hockey in them that have to play great hockey. We have some young players in the lineup, they have to play great. We have some older players in the lineup, they have to play great.”

Blashill added that the team is unlikely to add a defenseman on Tuesday despite having a game on Wednesday against Calgary. Detroit has struggled in December, finishing 2018 with a 1-6-3 record in their last 10 games.

 

Minor Transactions: 12/06/18

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After a quiet Wednesday night in the NHL the league scheduler is back in action with 11 games on tap for tonight. That includes some prime divisional matchups in the Eastern Conference and a big game between the Minnesota Wild and Calgary Flames. While we wait for the action to get started this evening, we’ll keep track of all the minor roster moves made ahead of time.

  • The Detroit Red Wings have recalled Brian Lashoff in time for their game tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs. With Danny DeKeyser’s recent hand injury, the team was left with just six healthy defensemen for the game. It’s unlikely that Lashoff is inserted into the lineup, but will serve as insurance in case anyone is injured over the next few hours.
  • Meanwhile, the Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled their own defenseman, as Gabriel Carlsson is on his way back to the NHL. Carlsson has played just a single game for the Blue Jackets this season, but is a huge part of their future blue line plans after being selected in the first round in 2015. His long reach and defensive ability should come in handy if the team puts him into the lineup right away.
  • In a somewhat surprising move, the Dallas Stars have sent Roope Hintz to the AHL. If the move is anything more than a paper transaction to save some cap space during a day between games, it makes the loss of Gemel Smith on waivers even more questionable. The Stars were already carrying just 22 players after the loss of Smith, meaning they could activate Martin Hanzal from long-term injured reserve.
  • Nelson Nogier made his season debut for the Winnipeg Jets this week, but is already on his way back to the minor leagues. The Jets made the move earlier today, expecting one of their regular defensemen to be ready when they get back on the ice. Nogier will surely get another chance, but for now will have to continue his development in the AHL.
  • Matt Beleskey is on his way back to the Rangers who announced that they have recalled him from Hartford of the AHL.  His stint in the minors was short-lived as he was sent down back on Sunday.  The veteran has played just once with New York this season but has been productive in the minors with nine points in 14 games.

Danny DeKeyser Out Four To Six Weeks

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Stop reading if you’ve heard this one before. The Detroit Red Wings will be without another key player for more than a month, as head coach Jeff Blashill told reporters today including Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press that Danny DeKeyser will miss four to six weeks with a hand injury. This comes after just yesterday announcing the same recovery timeline for Anthony Mantha, also out with a hand injury.

DeKeyser, 28, hasn’t quite turned into the star two-way defenseman that some thought he was on track to become after he experienced so much success as a young player, but is still a reliable option for the Red Wings on the blue line. Logging more than 21 minutes of ice time this season, he had seven points in his first 20 games and was on track for his best offensive season in quite some time. Unfortunately, injury limited him to 65 games last season and looks like it will keep him out of the lineup perhaps even longer this year. Six weeks would put DeKeyser on track for a mid-January return, at which point the Red Wings could find themselves out of the race for an Atlantic Division playoff spot.

As they continue to try and move on to the next wave of talent in Detroit, DeKeyser is the one defenseman who is still signed long-term. The team needs him and his $5MM cap hit to stay healthy enough to contribute going forward, especially as the other veteran options start to reach unrestricted free agency. Experience and leadership will be required as young players like Dennis Cholowski, Filip Hronek and others start to see more and more playing time, and DeKeyser will be the one who is looked at for both. That is of course if the Red Wings decide to keep him through this rebuild, which isn’t necessarily a guarantee.

The defenseman has a full no-trade clause currently, but that will reduce to just a 10-team clause on January 1, 2021. Even before that date the team could potentially approach him with a deal, given that he’s likely one of the only high-salary players on the team with any real value. For now though, he’ll have to work hard to get through his rehab and get back on the ice.

Injury Updates: Red Wings, Hendricks, Byron, Radulov

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The Red Wings’ battered back end is set to get a boost tonight as Danny DeKeyser is set to return after missing the last eight games due to a hand injury, reports Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.  He gives Detroit another top-four defender that should be capable of logging more than 20 minutes a night to help take some pressure off of their young defensemen.  However, it’s not all good news for the Wings as DeKeyser will be taking the place of veteran rearguard Jonathan Ericsson who is dealing with an undisclosed injury of his own.  Tonight marks the 14th game of the season for Detroit and they have yet to have their entire defense corps healthy at the same time for any of them.

Other injury notes from around the league:

  • Wild forward Matt Hendricks has resumed practicing and has been cleared to play following a leg injury sustained back in mid-October, notes Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. However, he won’t suit up tonight in St. Louis.  The veteran has played in five games this season, logging just shy of ten minutes a night while winning just shy of 46% of his faceoffs.
  • The Canadiens will be without winger Paul Byron for at least the next three games, the team announced (Twitter link). He missed Montreal’s last game due to a lower-body injury and if the team wants to free up a roster spot to bring up a replacement, he can be played on IR retroactive to October 30th.
  • The Stars have sent winger Alexander Radulov home for treatment and he is expected to miss the remainder of their current road trip which has three games remaining, notes Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). The veteran missed four games before returning earlier this week against Montreal but was shut down again following that contest.  Radulov ranks sixth in the league in points per game (1.57) so far this season.

Atlantic Notes: Backes, Kotkaniemi, Cholowski

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A last minute scratch on Saturday has many people worrying that Boston Bruins forward David Backes might have a more serious problem when they look back to a hit that Backes took a shoulder to the head in Thursday’s game against Edmonton from defenseman Matt Benning in the first shift of the game. He was checked for a concussion and cleared to return, but only skated 6:28 during the game.

While the 34-year-old participated in Saturday’s morning skate, there are many concerned that Backes, who has suffered numerous concussions over the course of his career, has another, according to Matt Porter of The Boston Globe. Head coach Bruce Cassidy said he was “absolutely” worried about Backes.

“We’ll list it as an upper-body injury,” Cassidy said. “I think we all saw the hit. You want to be cautious, first of all. This is a player’s health, that left at the end of last year with a concussion.”

  • The Montreal Canadiens got a great game out of 18-year-old Jesperi Kotkaniemi despite losing to Ottawa Saturday. The third-overall pick in this year’s draft is starting to show his skills and while he only has three points in seven games so far, he is clearly making a positive impact on the Canadiens, according to The Athletic’s Marc Dumont (subscription required). Throw in the fact that Kotkaniemi has made fewer than a half dozen mistakes on the ice, Montreal has a big piece in place for the future.
  • Another player receiving quite a bit of praise is Detroit Red Wings defenseman Dennis Cholowski. The 20-year-old has received a big opportunity with injuries to Mike Green, Niklas Kronwall, Jonathan Ericsson and Danny DeKeyser, and has taken advantage of it, according to Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James. The 2016 first-round pick has shown off smooth skating and on-ice intelligence and has shown an offensive instinct, posting two goals and five point in six minutes. Dylan Larkin believes that Cholowski is a big piece to their future. “His head is always up and he’s always there to make passes and get it in the forwards’ hands,” Larkin said of Cholowski. “He reminds me a lot of Zach Werenski in that sense, where their posture with the puck is almost if you’re forechecking him, you don’t know what he is going to do because he’s got his head up and his feet are moving. It’s awesome having him back there.”

Injury Notes: Pettersson, Schultz, DeKeyser, Andrighetto, Johns, Kovalchuk

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While there has been no official diagnosis revealed, The Province’s Patrick Johnston writes that Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning reports that 19-year-old phenom Elias Pettersson is feeling a little better today after taking a brutal hit and flung to the ice by Florida’s Mike Matheson that forced him out of the game Saturday evening.

“I just talked to him in the meal room, he’s feeling a little bit better,” said Benning before the team headed for the airport.

Pettersson was reportedly quite woozy after the hit, where it looks as if he hit his head against the glass during the hit and then hit his head a second time when Matheson threw him to the ice. The Department of Player Safety already confirmed there will be a phone hearing about the incident.

  • While there also is no official word from the injury that Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Justin Schultz suffered Saturday after he fell awkwardly with Montreal’s Tomas Plekanec, TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that speculation is that he sustained a fracture to his leg/ankle and the recovery time is likely to be significant. McKenzie adds that while a fracture can be better than a high ankle sprains in some cases, if Schultz requires surgery, that could make it the recovery time even longer.
  • The Detroit Red Wings will be without defenseman Danny DeKeyser as he is expected to see a hand specialist on Tuesday, suggesting he might be out a while, according to the Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James. The scribe adds that the team will get back Dennis Cholowski, who has missed two games with an upper-body injury for Monday’s game.
  • BSN Denver’s AJ Haefele reports that Colorado Avalanche’s Sven Andrighetto skated with the full team in a non-contact jersey Sunday. He suffered a lower-body injury before the season started and the team hopes it can get the 25-year-old back during their upcoming four-game road trip. The team intends to recall a player from the AHL until Andrighetto is ready to return.
  • Dallas Stars defenseman Stephen Johns skated on back-to-back days this weekend, suggesting the 6-foot-4, 225-pound blueliner is edging closer to a return as he deals with a concussion from the preseason, according to The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro. The scribe adds that he isn’t that close as he is still dealing with headaches.
  • The Los Angeles Times’ Curtis Zupke reports that Los Angeles Kings winger Ilya Kovalchuk left practice early today. Head coach John Stevens said he’s been dealing with a “nagging issue” and is day-to-day.

Injury Notes: Schwartz, DeKeyser, Luongo, Eriksson Ek, Engelland

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The St. Louis Blues will be without Jaden Schwartz for a few more days as Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, writes that the winger will be out Saturday vs. Chicago due to a lower-body injury when he took a shot off his foot/leg last Saturday vs. Calgary. Head coach Mike Yeo also doubts he will be available for Sunday’s game against Anaheim.

“He’s out for tonight, looking like he’s doubtful to questionable for tomorrow,” Yeo said. “I don’t know that there’s gonna be a big improvement there (overnight). But certainly the report that we got, there’s nothing to be concerned about long-term here.”

The only positive about being without Schwartz is it will give Yeo more of an opportunity to offer more minutes to their three top prospects with Sammy Blais likely getting the bulk of Schwartz’ minutes, including power play time. However, Yeo also said he intends to mix up lines as well against Chicago to get more playing time for both Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou.

  • The Detroit Red Wings’ defense continues to fall more and more apart as Danny DeKeyser exited Saturday’s game with an upper-body injury and is not expected to return, leaving the team with just five defensemen, according to Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James. While there is no word on the severity of DeKeyser’s injury, MLive’s Ansar Khan updates other defensive injuries, including that Dennis Cholowski is possible for their game Monday against Montreal, while Jonathan Ericsson is doubtful for Monday. Meanwhile, Trevor Daley is out Monday.
  • George Richards of The Athletic (subscription required) spoke to Florida Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo for the first time since the goaltender suffered a lower-body injury in the season opener. The veteran netminder said that he expects to be out for the back end of the 2-4 weeks that he was listed out for as he hasn’t begun to skate yet. “I’m still trying to get comfortable walking,” Luongo said. “I’m working hard to be back as soon as I can. I have done enough sitting around the past couple of years. I want to be on the ice with the boys.
  • The Athletic’s Michael Russo writes that the Minnesota Wild will be without center Joel Eriksson Ek for at least a week as he suffered an upper-body injury recently. The 21-year-old has been critical for the team’s third line even though he still hasn’t registered a point in three games. The team intends to move center Eric Fehr onto the third line, but general manager Paul Fenton and head coach Bruce Boudreau will both speak after today’s game in regards to a potential callup.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights have listed defenseman Deryk Engelland as day-to-day after he was forced to leave in the second period of Saturday’s game against Philadelphia, according to Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen. He’ll be re-evaluated when the team returns to Las Vegas. The 36-year-old has made a name for himself with a career-year last year, who has made Las Vegas his home since he played for the ECHL Las Vegas Wranglers back in the 2004-05 season.

Injury Notes: Red Wings, Bogosian, Beleskey, Peca

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The Detroit Red Wings’ defense could look much different to begin the season than many expected. With top pair defenseman Mike Green already shut down and confirmed to be out for at least the team’s opener due to a viral infection, coach Jeff Blashill revealed today that banged-up blue liners Danny DeKeyser, Jonathan Ericsson, and Trevor Daley are all considered questionable to begin the season. As Ansar Khan of MLive.com points out, it could be a very young, inexperienced defensive corps to start the year in Detroit. Niklas Kronwall and Nick Jensen could be the only regulars healthy enough to play, joined perhaps by a veteran like Brian Lashoff or Dylan McIlrath. Outside of those options, rookies will likely make up the rest of the top six. 5’8″ Joe Hicketts, who got a brief look last season, leads the way, with 2016 first-rounder Dennis Cholowski, second-rounder the same year Filip Hronek, and Czech import Libor Sulak in the mix as well.

  • Injury news about Zach Bogosian usually isn’t good and unfortunately, this could be trending in that direction as well. Bogosian has been taking it easy in training camp, working his way back from major hip surgery, but the Athletic’s Joe Yerndon reports that he has still managed to get injured. According to head coach Phil Housley, Bogosian is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Even worse, Yerndon notes that it is a new injury, unrelated to his hip issues. Bogosian’s career has been marred by frequent injuries and an inability to bounce back quickly. The Sabres have to hope that this case is different, as Bogosian and Marco Scandella will be needed to lead a young defensive unit and groom top overall pick Rasmus Dahlin.
  • It didn’t take long for the New York Rangers to get clarification on Matt Beleskey’s status. After head coach David Quinn said yesterday that it was “too early to tell” the extent of Beleskey’s injury, suffered during a fight on Monday night, the Rangers released an update today. Beleskey will be out two to four weeks with a separated shoulder, the team determined. Since Beleskey was a likely training camp casualty anyway, the only change for the Rangers is that he cannot be placed on waiver while injured. Instead, he will be placed on the injured reserve with only a minor salary cap charge.
  • Montreal Canadiens’ free agent addition Matthew Peca is currently sidelined. The team revealed that he is dealing with a minor groin injury. No timeline has been established for his return. Peca’s NHL ability and role for the Habs is still unclear, so missing preseason action and potentially the start of the season is unfortunate. The former Tampa Bay Lightning prospect will have to hit the ground running upon his return.

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