Possible Red Wings Trade Targets on Defense

Veteran defenseman Seth Jones has already been shipped to the Florida Panthers. Ryan Lindgren is on Colorado’s defense.  Former Red Wings player Gus Nyquist is not in Minnesota, not Nashville.

Early shoppers found deals they liked before Friday’s NHL trade deadline  History tells us that Steve Yzerman will be active in the marketplace. But he is always in stealth mode. You don’t hear Yzerman coming before a deal is made. There was no build-up when he traded Anthony Mantha or Filip Hronek. Nobody reported rumors about Detroit landing Nick Leddy before it occurred.

If you hear about the Red Wings connected to trying to land a player, it’s usually not accurate. Remember the Jacob Trouba rumors last summer?

One thing to keep in mind: Axel Sandin Pellikka might be in Detroit next season, and prospects William Wallinder and Antti Tuomisto are both knocking at the door.  That means the Red Wings will think long and hard about adding players with term.

It is, however, possible Wallinder or Tuomisto will be moved if they acquire a veteran defenseman.

Yzerplan 2025

What we know is the Red Wings are adding, not subtracting. They are probably interested in a scoring center and defensive depth as they continue to aggressively pursue their first playoff appearance in nine seasons. Elliotte Friedman has reported the Red Wings interest in Dylan Cozens, but our reporting is the Sabres aren’t interested in a deal for prospects and draft picks. They want a proven return.

There haven’t been many rumors about Detroit players moving, although all of them know that they could be moved to acquire a player the team wants. Trade week is never easy for players.

“They’re big boys, they’ve been involved in the game for a long time,” said Detroit coach Todd McLellan who acknowledge it can be difficult. “We have other things to focus on. We got a big week ahead of us and coming off a weekend where we didn’t get any point. If there’s a really unique situation, something that’s affecting an individual greatly, putting their family in a real awkward position, somebody from the organization, me or somebody would likely talk to that player, but not on everyday rumors because that’s exactly what they are.”

Detroit Hockey Now has looked at the available centers that might interest the Red Wings. The number of available defensemen isn’t plentiful.

Today we look which of the consensus available defenseman might appeal to the team:

Rasmus Ristolainen, Philadelphia

The lure of Ristolainen, 30, is that he’s a 6-foot-4, two-way right-shot defenseman with a physical presence. He will block plenty of shots, and will put up 150-plus hits per season. He has been a top four defensemen his early days in Buffalo. With a good offense, he will put up 30-40 points.He has two years left on a deal paying him $5.1 million per season.

Pierre Lebrun of the Athletic has reported that the Flyers are not close on trading him because their ask is high. They are looking for a first-round pick (or equivalent) and another asset.

Detroit prospect Axel Sandin Pellikka is an untouchable, but the Red Wings have other defensive prospects (William Wallinder, Shai Buium and Antti Tuomisto) and they probably would be willing to part with one in the right deal.

David Savard, Montreal

Yzerman has never been all that big on rental players, but this might make sense. He’s a right shot 235-pound defenseman who blocks plenty of shots. He’s good on the penalty kill. That’s been been an area of concern for Detroit all season.

The Red Wings aren’t going to give up a first rounder or a top prospect, but if the price was reasonable he could help down the stretch. This guy blocked 154 shots already this season in 58 games. The Canadiens are trying to land a second round pick.

Mario Ferraro, San Jose

In his sixth NHL season, Ferraro is a gritty, hard-nosed defender who has played 20-plus minutes per game since his second year in the NHL. He’s still only 26. Fe.2rraro will probably end up at 140-150 hits this season, and he probably will block 120-plus shots. He has one season remaining on a deal paying him $3.25 million.

Luke Schenn, Nashville

With Jeff Petry out, William Lagesson is currently the team’s No. 7 defenseman. The well-respected veteran Schenn would improve Detroit’s depth. Over the past two seasons in Nashville, he boasts 426 hits.

If he is moved, the cost will be reasonable. The impediment to this deal is Luke Schenn has one season remaining on a deal paying $2.75 million.

Bowen Byram, Buffalo

Detroit fans seem most interested in Byram, but we hear the Sabres wouldn’t trade him for anything less than proven players in return. The Sabres aren’t looking for first round picks or top prospects. They want players from your lineup you don’t want to give up.

That’s why Byram will probably be in Buffalo beyond the NHL trade deadline.