Pro Hockey Rumors’ Ethan Hetu offered a potential trade scenario which might relieve the New York Rangers of defenseman Nils Lundkvist, who the New York Post’s Larry Brooks has reported is disgruntled and has asked for a trade. Hetu believes that there’s a fit between the Rangers and a certain Detroit Red Wings forward:

Per Brooks, GM Chris Drury’s “target” in trade talks over Lundkvist is to acquire a “young, top-nine center who might grow with the organization.” While no specific teams that are potentially interested in Lundkvist were mentioned in the reporting, a few possibilities emerge when looking over the depth charts of other NHL clubs.

The Detroit Red Wings, for example, have a potential opening on the left side of their defense if they don’t want to use Jordan Oesterle as an everyday third-pairing defenseman. Lundkvist could potentially be a fit there playing next to his countryman, Gustav Lindstrom. He could even compete for a chance to play next to Calder Trophy winner Moritz Seider as well. Lundkvist is, of course, a right-shot defenseman but if he wants to prioritize the best fit possible on a new team he might need to be flexible with where exactly in a lineup he plays.

One other factor making Detroit an intriguing potential trade partner is the fact that the Red Wings also have a young centerman who could fit the Rangers’ desired return: Joe Veleno. Veleno might not have a regular role down the middle in Detroit next season, given the emergence of Michael Rasmussen and the addition of Andrew Copp. Could a swap of the two 2018 first-rounders make sense for both teams?

Continued; this is an interesting scenario, but I don’t see the fit, frankly.

First and foremost, the Red Wings already have a defensive corps that looks something like this:

Ben Chiarot-Moritz Seider

Olli Maatta-Filip Hronek

Jordan Oesterle-Gustav Lindstrom

Depth defensemen with NHL experience: Robert Hagg, Steven Kampfer;

Injured: Jake Walman (shoulder), Mark Pysyk (Achilles tendon)

Lundkvist is, like Lindstrom, a right-shooting defenseman who’s listed at 5’10” and 187 pounds, and he’s got a $925,000 cap hit, but he’s played in all of 25 NHL games.

If the Wings are concerned about the 6’2,” 183-pound Lindstrom’s size and strength, I just don’t see the Wings trading 22-year-old Joe Veleno to another team, even with the Red Wings’ center corps consisting of Dylan Larkin, Andrew Copp, Pius Suter and Michael Rasmussen as centers 1-2-3-and-4, with Veleno and Chase Pearson literally and figuratively waiting in the wings.

The trade proposal makes some sense. It doesn’t mean that it’s going to happen.