“Bleak playoff hopes coupled with the crunch of the salary cap leave the Detroit Red Wings in a difficult position. Trading some talented players in their prime could bring in some desperately needed young talent and draft picks while alleviating pressure from the salary cap. There are three players who the Red Wings might consider moving this season- we start with #1, Mike Green. ”
source:gamehause.com
“Mike Green-
In the summer of 2015, the Red Wings signed Capitals’ defenseman Mike Green to an 18 million dollar contract over three years ($6 million per year). In his first year Green notched 7 goals and 28 assists, leading Detroit’s defensemen with 35 points. Last year Green put up 14 goals and 22 assists, again leading Red Wings defenders with 36 points. For reference, Detroit’s next three defenders tallied 13 points (Jensen, Kronwall) and 12 points (Dekeyser) for a total of 38 points. Mike Green was only 2 points shy of the next three Red Wings defensemen combined! With only one year left on his contract, Green could be an enticing rental option for a Stanley Cup contender next season.
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“Obstacles: Green has a no-trade clause. If he chooses not to waive it, he isn’t going anywhere. But if the Wings remain firmly outside of playoff contention as the playoffs arrive, Green may opt to waive the clause and move to a more competitive team.
Potential Return: A rental defenseman of Green’s caliber could command a late first round pick at the deadline. To compare, the Red Wings gained a 2nd and 3rd round pick for Brendan Smith this past year, and Green’s résumé is even stronger than Smith’s. The rental market varies year to year, but defensemen usually command a better premium than forwards.
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“Trades for Reference
LAK receive: Andrej Sekera (D)
CAR receive: 1st round pick, Roland McKeown (D)
In 2015, Los Angeles gave a first round pick and a strong defensive prospect in McKeown to Carolina for Sekera, a rental defenseman with comparable stats to Mike Green.
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source: RantSports.com
“WSH receive: Kevin Shattenkirk (D)
STL receive: 1st round pick, conditional 2nd round pick, Zach Sanford (LW)
Last year, Washington acquired Kevin Shattenkirk for a strong return from St. Louis. Green likely wouldn’t fetch quite as much as Shattenkirk, but the Shattenkirk deal sets a benchmark for quality rental defensemen.
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source: Washington Times
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NYR receive: Brendan Smith (D)
DET receive: 2nd round pick, 3rd round pick
Ken Holland found a good return for Smith, who played well with the Rangers this postseason. It is reasonable to expect a higher return for Green if he were to waive his no-trade clause next year.
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“My Take
If Green is willing to move, I would absolute pull the trigger. He might be the most valuable rental defenseman on the market come trade deadline, and could likely net a nice return.
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“This piece was written by Owen Peters. ”