The Detroit Red Wings find themselves in third place in the Atlantic Division, but there's a logjam of four teams fighting for two guaranteed playoff spots from the division and a couple of Wild Card spots. The Wings want to turn on the jets down the stretch, and they've got a specific plan for the trade deadline, as noted by insider Marco D'Amico.
Sources have indicated that the Red Wings not only want to grab another top-six pivot, but they want to acquire a veteran center with term and are willing to pay the big price.
D'Amico writes that the Wings "view their center depth as their biggest weakness in comparison to other top teams in their division right now."
With that, he names three centers who are on long-term contracts that are on Detroit's radar:
- Vincent Trocheck, New York Rangers
- Nazem Kadri, Calgary Flames
- Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks
Red Wings eyeing one of 3 veteran centers with term at trade deadline
Trocheck has become the darling of the trade deadline for any team looking for a center. With three years to run at a very reasonable $5.625 million AAV, the gritty, two-way pivot has many serious suitors.
Kadri fits the same description as a player, but his cap hit is a bit more hefty, at $7M, and also runs another three years. Plus he is three years older than Trocheck.
Pettersson would be the biggest gamble, but also potentially the biggest reward. The 27-year-old has six more years to go on his unwieldy $11.6M AAV, and is in his second straight disappointing season since signing that massive deal.
But as the insider points out, Wings GM Steve Yzerman feels a legit center like one of the above is the "missing piece" for his team, and he has "never really shied away from making that kind of big deal."
The Red Wings see an opportunity in the East this season; keep an eye on them when things resume after the Olympic break.
Photo: © Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
