MLive’s Ansar Khan surmises that the Red Wings will not only experience another rebuilding season, but will also sell off multiple players in order to accumulate draft picks at the trade deadline:
Yzerman’s strategy Friday when NHL free agency opened was clear: Sign veteran players on inexpensive one-year contracts, providing the team flexibility to move them at the trade deadline for draft picks.
The Red Wings filled some roster holes by signing right wing Bobby Ryan ($1 million) and defenseman Jon Merrill ($950,000) to one-year deals.
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If things go well, perhaps the Red Wings will extend Ryan or Merrill or even both. But for now, they join a lengthy list of players in the final year of their contracts who the Red Wings can flip at the deadline. That list includes defenseman Marc Staal, acquired last month from the New York Rangers along with a second-round pick, and center/right wing Sam Gagner, who was re-signed for $850,000.
Forwards Darren Helm, Luke Glendening and Valtteri Filppula; defenseman Patrik Nemeth and goaltender Jonathan Bernier also are entering the final year of their contracts and could be moved for picks.
Not all of these players would draw interest, and Yzerman wouldn’t completely gut his roster, needing some players to finish a season that will tentatively start on Jan. 1.
