Clearly, it’s time for the Detroit Red Wings to sell. Not because of their 7-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, but rather because the media said so.
No, really. Check out the latest Red Wings news and rumors, including a flurry of content about Detroit’s approach to the trade deadline.
Red Wings Trade Candidates
On Monday, The Athletic launched their annual “Big Board”, listing 28 players who could be dealt before the trade deadline. Ranked among the various names were three Red Wings:
- Luke Glendening (No. 13)
- Jonathan Bernier (No. 15)
- Bobby Ryan (No. 16)
“[Ryan] can chip in. He’s cheap,” one executive told The Athletic. “I think he could be a nice add for someone, get in on the third line and a little power play time.” (from ’NHL Trade Deadline Big Board: Mattias Ekholm, Jack Eichel and 26 others who could be dealt’ – The Athletic – 3/1/21)
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to see Ryan’s name mentioned as a trade candidate. The veteran leads the Red Wings in scoring with 12 points in 23 games. He’s on a one-year, $1 million contract, which is certainly affordable compared to others on the block.
Potentially being moved at the deadline was something that Ryan and Steve Yzerman discussed prior to the right wing inking his contract with the Red Wings:
“When I signed, I knew that was going to be a possibility,” Ryan told the Detroit Free Press. “If I came in and played well, it would be a win-win situation. Possibly for me it’d be an opportunity to go somewhere and be in a playoff race, and for the team to get an asset. I understand the business side of that thing.”
Related: Red Wings Trade Chips: Value, Comparables & Potential Trade Partners
As for Glendening and Bernier, the former should garner some interest given his defensive prowess and faceoff skills, while the latter was linked to the Colorado Avalanche as a potential destination.
Mantha, Bertuzzi on the Move?
One intriguing quote surfaced as part of The Athletic’s Big Board, and it had nothing to do with Glendening, Bernier, or Ryan.
“I wouldn’t be shocked if (Yzerman) moved one of his top young forwards. I think he’s listening on a lot of things.”
–Anonymous executive to The Athletic
And by “young forwards”, we’re talking about Anthony Mantha and Tyler Bertuzzi.
Now, Mantha’s name has been brought up in trade discussions before. He’s having an off year – five goals in 23 games is not going to cut it.
That said, this is the first I’ve seen of Bertuzzi possibly being dealt. He’s currently injured, but has produced seven points in nine games this season.
While it would be frustrating to see Mantha or Bertuzzi traded, there is precedence for such a move. After all, Yzerman shipped out Andreas Athanasiou last season. Similarly, Ken Holland traded a then 27-year-old Tomas Tatar to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2018. The timeline of Detroit’s rebuild simply didn’t align with their prime playing years. That may be the case for Mantha and Bertuzzi as well.
Personally, I don’t see a need to rush here. Unless Yzerman is absolutely blown away by an offer, he should hold his cards. Mantha and Bertuzzi are top-six forwards on a playoff team – it may just take a couple years to get there.
More Trade Deadline Talk
In addition to The Athletic, The Fourth Period also debuted their 2021 Trade Watch List. Four Red Wings appeared in their top-30 trade candidates:
- Marc Staal (No. 10)
- Bobby Ryan (No. 21)
- Luke Glendening (No. 22)
- Jonathan Bernier (No. 30)
No teams have been linked to these players—or any players on the list—yet.
Regarding Staal, The Fourth Period noted that the defenseman “is expected to be dealt by the deadline and the Red Wings will almost certainly retain salary to facilitate a trade.”
Related: Diving Into the Detroit Red Wings’ No-Trade Clauses
The Red Wings can retain up to half of Staal’s $5.7 million salary if they do in fact deal the blueliner. It should be noted, though, that Detroit can only retain salary for up to three players, so keep this in mind as we get closer and closer to the trade deadline.
More Red Wings News
- Defenseman Patrik Nemeth was added to the COVID-19 list on Sunday.
- Detroit’s powerless power play served a great cause. Spearheaded by The Athletic’s Prashanth Iyer, several journalists, fans, and hockey personalities donated $1 (or more) to the Jamie Daniels Foundation for every goal-less power play during Detroit’s recent drought. The Red Wings finally scored with the man advantage Saturday night, resulting in a rather large overall donation to the foundation.
- Tony Wolak identified Detroit’s trade chips, their value, and potential trade partners ahead of the 2021 NHL Trade Deadline.
- In response to Devin Little’s critique of his usage, Evgeny Svechnikov is now on fire.
- The Grind Line ranked Detroit’s top-five prospects, with Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond leading the way.