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:
Continue reading Examining a trade proposal involving Joe Veleno and Nils Lundkvist via Pro Hockey Rumors