Wings Send Leddy to Blues for Walman, Sundqvist, Second-Rounder

One of the top defenseman targets on the trade block is on the move. 

The Detroit Red Wings continued to sell off their assets ahead of Monday's deadline, trading Nick Leddy to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for defenseman Jake Walman, center Oskar Sundqvist, and a second-round pick in the 2022 draft. 

Leddy is in the final year of his contract and is set to earn $5.5 million this season before hitting the free agency market this summer. 

The Red Wings, who sit very far out of the playoff picture and find themselves in the midst of a full-scale rebuild, manage to acquire a defense prospect in Walman and a second-round pick for a player they otherwise would've lost for free in a few months' time. 

As for the Blues, they add a veteran defender who brings impressive puck-moving skill to a veteran blueline ahead of their expected playoff run. Leddy is a complicated player, with terrific underlying numbers in transition, but is far less attractive analytically at either end of the ice.

Leddy doesn't produce much in the offensive realm of the game, having managed just a single goal and 16 points in 51 games this season, but logged upwards of 21 minutes per night for the Red Wings and will likely not be tasked with such high-stakes responsibilities on a far superior Blues roster. 

He seems to be a pure rental, with the Blues unlikely to sign the 31-year-old Leddy given the assets they already have. But Leddy has playoff experience from his time with the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Islanders, and could be a useful depth piece for a team that needs one.