For the fifth season in a row, the Red Wings will be sellers at the trade deadline. After Tuesday night's loss to Nashville they're tied with the Senators for last in the NHL.
The deadline is still a ways out: April 12. Detroit has 22 games between now and then. But the pressure of a shortened season and the unusually thin slate of games after the deadline might compel contenders to act earlier than normal.
According to TSN's Frank Seravalli, three Red Wings are already drawing interest on the trade market.
"Teams are beginning to look at three potential targets from the Detroit Red Wings, all veteran presences: Bobby Ryan, Luke Glendening and on the backend, Marc Staal," Serevalli reported Tuesday. "Glendening leads the league in face-off percentage, Ryan is scoring on a contract that every team can fit, and Steal would certainly provide that experience on the backend that teams crave come playoff time."
Ryan will likely be the most desirable of the three, given his ability to play a top-six role on offense with a cap hit of $1 million. He's tied for the team lead in Detroit with five goals and tied for second with nine points.
Glendening is in the final season of a four-year, $7.2 million contract. His dependability down the middle and knack for killing penalties make him a trade target every year. Maybe this is the year the Red Wings move him.
Dealing Staal is probably a stretch. For all his playoff experience, his game has fallen off in recent years and he carries a $5.7 million cap hit. The Rangers had to send Detroit a second-round pick to take Staal off their hands.
The more sought-after defenseman from the Wings might be 29-year-old Jon Merrill, who's played top-pair minutes this season and has a cap hit under $1 million. Veteran Patrik Nemeth could draw interest as well.
Another name to keep an eye on: Anthony Mantha. While he just signed a four-year deal with Detroit, he continues to play an up-and-down game and was a healthy scratch earlier this season. The talent is there. If the Wings make him available, the 26-year-old will have plenty of suitors.
Let the rumors begin.
