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Tyler Myers to the Red Wings probably won't happen at the trade deadline |
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According to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, the Detroit Red Wings took a bit of a snow day yesterday as Wings GM Ken Holland and head coach Mike Babcock had a pow-wow while the players got the day off.
The Red Wings have played themselves to within one point of the division leading and eastern conference leading Tampa Bay Lightning in a season where most thought they would be fighting for their playoff lives.
St. James wrote that Holland and Babcock were discussing much more than the Babcock's Super Bowl gathering which featured his self-described "unbelievable hot wings" and "out of this world Greek ribs." They were discussing the state of the Red Wings and what they needed moving forward.
As per usual, nothing was divulged. "We talked for a long time," said Babcock. "There were no surprises. He knows what I want. You always have a wish list of what you need to try to improve your team. Sometimes, it's reasonable what you have and, sometimes, it's not reasonable."
What's been said to have been on Babcock's wish list for a long time is a right-shooting defenseman and for nearly a year Buffalo Sabres defenseman Tyler Myers is said to be at the top of the list. But Sabres GM Tim Murray is shooting for the moon right now with Myers (and rightfully so) so any trade with Buffalo may fall into the "not so reasonable" category for Holland. Both teams are in a position right now where they're in no hurry to make a deal on anybody's terms except their own.
Though one would seem to think that the Wings would like a longer-term solution to their right-handed defenseman dilemma, they do have "rental" options like Cody Franson (Toronto), Jeff Petry (Edmonton), and Marek Zidlicky (New Jersey) as all are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents on July 1. Those three are on teams pretty much out of the playoff race and should be available for the right price. And, of course, what's the price?
"Is [a trade] possible?" said Babcock of his discussion with Holland. "Or is cost too great short-term, long-term? Those are all the things Ken and I deal with.
"In the end Ken has the final decision on all this, just like our roster. That doesn't mean I (don't) have tons to say. During the game I decide who goes on the ice, but he gives a ton of feedback in that area, too. We talk after each game. That's how we work together."
Unlike last season when the Wings were on the cusp of missing the playoffs for the first time since the 1989-90 season, Detroit is healthy, something captain Henrik Zetterberg pointed out. "If you look back in our history, it's not often that something happens," Zetterberg said. "Last year we had a lot of injuries and we made a deal to get Legwand. This year we're healthy so I don't expect us to do much."
And of the supposed trials and tribulations on the backend without that right-handed d-man, veteran defenseman Niklas Kronwall said, "We haven't had a righty, but I don't think that's really shown whatsoever.
"I think sometimes you make a bigger deal out of it than it has to be but of course it would maybe be nice to have one guy that's a righty (other than rookie Alexey Marchenko). But other than that we haven't had that in a few years and we make the most of it."
The Red Wings have been "making the most of it" since owner new Mike Illitch hired Jimmy Devellano to pull the "Dead Wings" out of the Detroit River in 1982. Since then they've missed the playoffs a grand total of three times. They're not going to do anything rash that would sacrifice the future for a short-term fix or pull off any kind of hockey trade that weakens them or is detrimental to their future.
The bottom line for those looking to see Buffalo and Detroit pull of a deal is that although you have to believe that Myers would be a great fit in Detroit, methinks that a Myers to Detroit trade wouldn't happen until the off-season.
Unless, of course, a team like the Anaheim Ducks or Los Angeles Kings make a move for Myers before then.
Many thanks to St. James as well as Ansar Khan of mlive and Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News for their coverage of the Wings.
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