NHL insider Elliotte Friedman mentions the Detroit Red Wings are looking at dealing several depth forwards to open up roster spots for up-and-coming prospects.
As the NHL season progresses further along, we're hearing more and more trade rumors around the league with the Detroit Red Wings being involved in several conversations.
It's been well known that the Detroit GM Steve Yzerman has been looking to offload some of their veteran defenseman like Erik Gustafsson as well as move depth forward Jonatan Berggren for a fresh start elsewhere. The Red Wings would like to bring up more forward prospects and clearing roster space for them has been an issue so far. This may lead to Berggren not being the only forward moved as a recent report indicates the team has explored trade options for some of their depth forwards.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman has his podcast 32 Thoughts but when he has the time he also likes to write out his findings and reports into a 32 Thoughts column that is posted to Sportsnet's site. In his recent column, he expanded on his comments for the Red Wings by saying "Detroit has Erik Gustafsson in the AHL, and some forwards who might need a change of scenery because their runway is shortening in Motown."
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The most interesting part of his quote is the mentioning of multiple forwards being looked at in trades for a fresh start. We know about the Berggren reports but who else could Friedman be referring to?
The Red Wings have some veterans in the bottom of their lineup that fans have been asking to get moved in Andrew Copp and J.T. Compher. Both have been not as effective as they hoped in recent years and the growth of the salary cap may create an opportunity to offload. Copp is a Michigan native as well as a locker room leader which would lessen his chances of being moved but Compher could be an option.
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Expected to be a 50-point player for the Wings, Compher made an impact early with 48 points in his first year with the team. However, since then he has recorded 35 points over his last 84 games and is projected to finish with around 30 points again this season. Detroit can receive that kind of production out of rental players like Mason Appleton or James van Riemsdyk, who are much cheaper options than Compher and his $5.1 million cap hit over the next three seasons.
A team like the Chicago Blackhawks, with roughly $15.7 million in cap space, could be interested in adding veteran players who bring consistent scoring. Compher, an Illinois native, might be more inclined to re-sign later in the Hawks’ rebuild at a more team-friendly price. Meanwhile, the Red Wings would free up a bottom-six role for an emerging prospect like Carter Mazur or Nate Danielson.
Other forwards Friedman could be alluding to as being involved in trade talks could be Michael Rasmussen and Elmer Soderblom. Both are 26 and 24 respectively, which means they're towards the end of their developmental journeys. For a player like Soderblom, you can afford to wait another year or two to see if he can continue to grow as his profile is rare as a six-foot-eight netfront presence. He could use the time to learn from players who have excelled in similar roles, like James van Riemsdyk and Mason Appleton, and continue growing as a player.
Rasmussen on the other hand, has been around since 2017 as the Red Wings' ninth overall pick in the draft and has simply not panned out. A decent 25-30 point player for four seasons now but is in the way of prospects that could come up and provide more.
Trades involving Erik Gustafsson and Jonatan Berggren as well as Compher or Rasmussen would continue the changing of the guard that has been seen this season with even more fresh blood, It could prove to be effective and lead to the Red Wings' best team in recent years and hopefully signal the final result of their lengthy rebuild is near.
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