The trade deadline is a week from today, and the Red Wings, says Derek Lalonde, are "in a really good spot." They have an eight-point cushion on a playoff berth, a healthy roster and the freedom of knowing their competitive window is just starting to open. The club is not under pressure to go for it like others in the East.
Steve Yzerman doesn't feel pressure, as it is. He's a measured thinker who operates with the big picture in mind. And "the way he's built this," Lalonde said Friday on 97.1 The Ticket after the Red Wings had their six-game win streak snapped Thursday night in a loss to the Islanders, "is with the guys in the room. I just think there’s a trust in there."
"We talk all the time in hockey, if you hit seven out of 10 decisions either as a coach or a manager, you’re going to be one of the best coaches or managers in the league. On the coaching side, a matchup, a line change, a structure thing. And Steve just has an uncanny ability to do better than (that). I think that’s why we’re growing and pushing this thing in the right direction.
"It’s a little anxious (ahead of the deadline), but I just think there’s such a trust in Steve and what he’s doing in the micro and the macro, the big picture, too."
The Red Wings also have this working in their favor: a handful of high-level prospects in Grand Rapids who are knocking on the door of Detroit. Some are banging on it. Simon Edvinsson could bolster the Wings' blue line. Jonatan Berggren could add more skill to their already deep forward corps. Center Marco Kasper and winger Carter Mazur, while maybe not quite as NHL-ready as Edvinsson or Berggren, both of whom have already been up with the big club this season, are on the radar as well.
Lalonde said last month that the Wings could afford to add "another versatile forward" at the deadline, "someone who can play center and the wing." He went in a similar direction when asked about Detroit's needs on Friday, saying, "I like our group. Could we add maybe a checking-type bottom six forward? We’ve got Christian Fischer out of position playing our fourth-line center, just because we trust him so much." Perhaps that points to a call-up for Kasper, though it'd be a lot to ask of the 19-year-old.
"But again, we’re healthy, so it’s a tough question," said Lalonde. "I don’t like the fact that we’ve had to sit out Klim Kostin seven games because we’ve had such rhythm with our lines and our flow. We have a very capable, deep group right now, and same thing with our D corps. We sat out Justin Holl on this winning streak, but he’s a very capable right-shot D that can help us. And I think we got a couple guys in GR that can give us some jump, too. So I think we’re in a really good spot. If we don’t do anything, that might be our most aggressive deadline move and I think everyone would be content with it."
Lalonde is confident in the Red Wings' scoring ability. They have offense up and down their lineup. He isn't worried about a regression in their shooting percentage, which ranks second in the NHL: "It's a little of our DNA," he said. It's the other side of the puck that has Lalonde's attention as the Wings gear up for the push to the playoffs.
"Any of our regular numbers, we fall anywhere between 15th and 21st, 22nd in the league," he said. "But that’s improved from where we were (last season), hence why we are where we’re at. Our offense has been there all year. I don’t see it going away. Of course you’re not going to score five, six goals a night, but the type of shooters we have and just the way we’re built, it’s not an accident. We’re a top-five team in the league in goals scored. I’m comfortable where things are at, but we have to continue to improve on our defensive stats."
Which begs the question: How close is Edvinsson to helping the Red Wings make this push?
"He’s close," said Lalonde. "We’ve been a fan of Simon from day one. And they’re doing the right thing with Simon, we’re going to get an even better product when he does come see us. I talked about Steve hitting things correctly, and that’s Steve’s patience. I’m telling you, 25 other teams in this league would have rushed Simon in, but he’s got some other issues, some maturity, that all young kids probably go through. He’s going to be an exciting player for us."
Edvinsson, 21, had a two-game cameo with the Wings in December when the club was riddled with injuries. He also played in nine games last season and acquitted himself well. The veteran depth on the Red Wings' blue line is one of the reasons he didn't make the team out of training camp, which might remain a barricade to a call-up now.
Holl, for example, played 80 games and logged major minutes last season for a Maple Leafs team that won 50 games, and hasn't played for the Wings in over a month. And on the left side, where Edvinsson plays, the Wings have four capable defensemen in Jake Walman, Ben Chiarot, Shayne Gostisbehere and Olli Maatta, all of whom are holding down spots in the lineup.
Could Edvinsson play so well in Grand Rapids that he demands a role in Detroit down the stretch? It's possible. But his clearest path to the NHL likely involves either an injury or a trade in Detroit, or both. It's hard to envision the Wings moving any of the aforementioned left-shot defensemen at this point in the season, but Gostisbehere, who's on a one-year contract and will probably walk as a free agent, and Maatta, a two-time Cup winner on an affordable deal that runs through next season, bear watching.
And really, who doesn't bear watching under Yzerman? The list starts with Dylan Larkin and Moritz Seider, and probably ends with Lucas Raymond.
"As far as me and Steve, we have basic conversations (about the deadline), we talk the odd player now and then. But he has his management team that he leans on, and I think we’ll be in a good spot no matter what happens at this deadline," Lalonde said.