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DETROIT – As Steve Yzerman did his prep work for Friday’s NHL trade deadline, he had a feeling it might be a quiet deadline for him and the Detroit Red Wings.
His head coach, Derek Lalonde, might have telegraphed it last week when he opined: “Perhaps the most aggressive move of all would be to make no move at all. I think that would say a lot about where our group is at. … Because (it would mean that he has) confidence in the group.”
And when the deadline came and went, that’s exactly what happened. The Red Wings traded forward Klim Kostin, clearing his $2 million cap hit from their ledger next season, but made no other moves, indicating they will instead rely on their organizational depth (especially AHL Grand Rapids). as they look to end a seven-year playoff drought.
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That’s not to say Yzerman didn’t consider adding. He said Detroit “certainly talked a lot” about adding another forward after trading Kostin, a move the GM had mixed emotions about but which he ultimately rationalized by saying, “In the role they were using him in, it doesn’t make sense.” to have a 2 million dollar player.”
But when it came down to it, Yzerman didn’t like the prices it would have taken to add another forward, especially considering what the Red Wings feel they have waiting in the wings.
“I like to think part of the reason we weren’t very active this year at the deadline is because we like the depth we have within the organization,” Yzerman said. “We have some good players in Grand Rapids, players we signed last summer, some of our young prospects that are playing there, they give us good depth. So here, sitting at the deadline, looking at some of the things that we felt like maybe (were) areas that could help us, and finally giving up this year on a first, second or third round pick for depth, we were better off. Let’s bring our guys from Grand Rapids for that.”
And so, the Red Wings held their own, which wasn’t unexpected, though still a bit disappointing as Detroit looks to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
“We had a very good race, which will be good for our team down the stretch,” Yzerman said. “And hopefully we finish the regular season in a playoff spot.”
Once the deadline has passed, the only question that remains is: Can they do it as they are currently built?
It won’t be easy, not with Dylan Larkin out at least until next week with an unspecified lower-body injury. Detroit has played one game without Larkin so far, and it ended in a crushing 7-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. However, they are one of the best teams in the NHL, and facing the Avalanche, on their own ice, without the ability to dictate matchups is not a reasonable move.
However, what comes next will be. If you’re going to accept Lalonde’s comment from last week (Yzerman’s inaction would be the most aggressive move of all because of the confidence it indicates), then find a way to survive without Larkin, who is your captain and leading scorer. and engine on ice, is not negotiable.
That starts Friday in Arizona. The Red Wings will play the Coyotes with 11 forwards and seven defensemen after trading Kostin, but it won’t take long for Grand Rapids to enter the equation either. Yzerman said he would be called up during the trip and, although he did not specify who, winger Jonatan Berggren was conspicuously absent from the Griffins’ lineup Friday night.
Berggren, of course, is the Griffins’ leading scorer and one of the players Yzerman mentioned Friday afternoon, saying, “If we need a winger to step in, an offensive guy, we think Jonatan is ready to do it.”
You’ve probably been ready to do it all year. Berggren played 67 games for Detroit last season, scoring 15 goals and 28 points. But the Red Wings made a conscious decision to leave him in Grand Rapids to start the season, wanting him to continue to improve and play a larger role with the Griffins than he would have in Detroit. He has also played nine more NHL games this season, with two goals and five points, but has primarily been in Grand Rapids, where he scored 46 points in 43 games.
For all of those reasons, Berggren should be able to provide offense for the Red Wings if he is indeed called upon.
With Larkin out in the short term, Detroit will need to find a way to replace the team’s leading offense. But overall that has been a strength of the team all year. The Red Wings are the sixth-highest scoring team in the NHL and have done so with depth throughout.
However, what Yzerman believes will make or break the Red Wings’ playoff run has more to do with the other end of the ice.
“We have to be a strong defensive team and we have to continue working on that,” he said. “And in my opinion, that will be the key to us moving forward here.”
And that’s where the silent deadline can be more interesting. Detroit has a clogged blue line and, if anything, could have decided to opt out of a contract on Friday, much like what they did with Kostin at the helm. The Red Wings have the organization’s top prospect, Simon Edvinsson, waiting in Grand Rapids, and Yzerman praised Edvinsson’s growth as a defenseman this season, even though maximizing his puck touches and power-play opportunities were the reasons. main to keep him in the AHL.
“He’s gained more confidence, his finishing plays, his play in front of his own goal, reading the play and when to box and when to attack, and reading the play in front of him, but knowing where everyone is behind him, just his defensive game. overall it has improved,” Yzerman said. “He’s really becoming an excellent defender.”
Whether that will translate into time in Detroit remains to be seen. The Red Wings have seven veterans ahead of them in the lineup and none of them moved when the deadline arrived. A call-up is still possible at some point, especially in the event of an injury, but the Red Wings have avoided doing so for most of the year (Edvinsson was called up for two games in December).
So, with Detroit’s lead in the wild card race reduced to just two points over the New York Islanders, the bet is clear. Yzerman isn’t yet ready to buy aggressively this time of year, like the league’s real Stanley Cup contenders did this week. He didn’t sell either, as he did in a not-so-different situation last season.
This time, Yzerman saw enough value in trying to break the league’s second-longest playoff drought. But the Red Wings will have to do it primarily with the players who brought them here.
(Steve Yzerman photo: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)