Will Detroit Trade Justin Holl Before the Deadline?
From The Silky Mitten State: Can the Red Wings unload Justin Holl's salary at the trade deadline, and will they want to?
Mandatory Credit: Brian Bradshaw Sevald-USA TODAY Sports - Will Detroit Trade Justin Holl Before the Deadline?We are just hours away from the NHL's trade deadline, and thus far, it's remained a quiet week for the Detroit Red Wings. It remains unlikely that Detroit doesn't do any business at all, and one widely rumored option is a desire to unload salary before the deadline passes to better prepare for next season when Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider will both have significant raises.
If unloading salary is the objective of the day, the logical starting point is defenseman Justin Holl. Holl signed a three-year deal last summer, and he's played decently well, but he hasn't cracked the lineup since January 31st.
"Obviously, it's difficult," Holl told The Hockey News in February. "As a player, you always want to play. You always want to be out there, and you feel like you're missing out when you're not in the trenches with your buddies. But it's part of the deal, so all I can do is be ready when the time comes."
One solution that might be mutually beneficial for Holl and Detroit is a trade and fresh start. That trade could return short-term help on the blue line or perhaps alternately open the door for Simon Edvinsson to be called up to the NHL.
On the most recent episode of The Silky Mitten State, my co-host Connor Earegood and I discussed this possibility. For a video excerpt of this conversation, check out this clip:
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