Buyers or sellers?
Based on comments made by Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland earlier this week, it sounds totally possible that the Red Wings may sit pat all throughout the trade deadline.
Think about it. Over the last several seasons, the Red Wings have desperately needed a top-four defenseman. They got one this offseason in Mike Green. They would have liked to add a top-six forward, and maybe a forward who can provide someone who can provide an offensive punch on the third line. They got both of those in Dylan Larkin and Brad Richards.
So, while the Red Wings have all of the makings of a buyer at the trade deadline, they may ultimately sit quietly.
Team needs
Here's what we know about Holland's plans, thanks to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. Holland doesn't plan on trading goaltender Jimmy Howard, who carries the fourth-highest cap hit on the team. We also know, from Holland's own words, that the Red Wings are pretty happy with their overall depth. With the development of defensemen Alexey Marchenko and Xaiver Ouellet, and forwards Andreas Athanasiou, Teemu Pulkkinen and Tomas Jurco, who could blame him for being so happy? We also know that between Pavel Datsyuk, Johan Franzen and Drew Miller, the Red Wings have chewed up a lot of long term injured reserve space. Detroit doesn't have much cap space to work with at the trade deadline. We also know that Holland doesn't want to part with prospects or draft picks this year.
And, perhaps the greatest insight towards the Red Wings plans: Holland will only make a move to acquire someone who will make a "real impact." That means that if the Red Wings were to make some sort of move, it would likely be for a valuable top-six player that would make the team better, or maybe even a top-four defenseman.
But, at least in my opinion, it also means that Holland isn't looking for any sort of rental. I mean, do you really get the sense that Detroit is in the running for Andrew Ladd, Eric Staal, Mikkel Boedker or Loui Eriksson? Not really, unless, of course, Holland is very confident he can sign any of those upcoming unrestricted free agents this offseason.
Considering Holland would have to move an equal amount of cap space in order to acquire any of the following options, all of these trade proposals seem unrealistic. But if the Red Wings ultimately do look to add someone at the trade deadline, and they are specifically looking for someone who they can utilize for the next few seasons, here are some possibilities.
Key players
Scott Hartnell
The Columbus Blue Jackets are having a disaster of a season. Unfortunately for them, they don't really have any players with expiring contracts that they can pawn off as rentals. But that doesn't mean they won't be players at the trade deadline, as a complete culture change is something that is certainly needed.
One guy that could be on the move is Scott Hartnell. Hartnell, who is signed through 2018-19 with a $4.75 million cap hit, is a consistent 20-goal scorer. His price tag is a little steep, and the Red Wings would have to move an equal amount of salary in return. But if the Red Wings are willing to part with whatever the Blue Jackets have in mind (and it would likely be a defenseman or two), they may be able to coax the Blue Jackets into retaining some of Hartnell's salary, considering it's such a large commitment.
Cam Atkinson
This Columbus Blue Jacket may be a bit more realistic than Hartnell. Cam Atkinson is a 26-year-old winger with a very cap-friendly $3.5 million cap hit that runs through the 2017-18 season. Like Hartnell, Atkinson is a 20-goal scorer. Atkinson is a crafty, small wing that plays with a lot of speed, and he could potentially mesh very well with the speed of Dylan Larkin. Moving $3.5 million is a bit easier than Hartnell's $4.75 million, and if the Red Wings are willing to part with a defenseman to snag Atkinson, a deal could be made.
Sami Vatanen
While it seems like Holland may be looking to add a forward after he spoke so highly of his defensive depth, a player like Sami Vatanen doesn't become available all too often.
Vatanen is a top-four defenseman that can add a tremendous amount of offense to the Red Wings' blue line. He's an upcoming restricted free agent, and because he becomes a restricted free agent at the same time as Anaheim's Hampus Lindholm, it's believed that because both are due for a payraise, Ducks' general manager Bob Murray will part with one of them. The 24-year-old Vatanen seems like a more realistic choice than Lindholm.
But at what cost for the Red Wings? The Ducks have a tremendous amount of depth for their defensemen, so they'd likely want a forward in return. Would Holland be willing to part with Gustav Nyquist? Would some sort of combination involving Teemu Pulkkinen, Tomas Jurco or picks be enough?
Not to mention, the addition of Vatanen would give the Red Wings a ton of defensive depth of their own. And with Danny DeKeyser and Marcenko entering restricted free agency this offseason, can the Red Wings afford to add one more to the mix?
The more each of these scenarios get drawn out, the more likely it seems Holland is just better off watching this year.
Tommy Chalk writes about the NHL for FOX Sports. You can follow him on Twitter @Tommy_Chalk
