Ken Holland won’t sell at the deadline.Â
With the Red Wings struggling most of this season, many speculated that Ken Holland and the Red Wings would be sellers at the trade deadline. However, their recent play and the fact that they are just four points out of a playoff spot have complicated matters.
Thomas Vanek, Brendan Smith, Steve Ott, and Drew Miller are all unrestricted free agents after this season. Vanek will certainly draw the most interest, but he has been Detroit’s best offensive player this season, hands down. I wrote an editorial suggesting the Red Wings sign Vanek to an extension rather than trade him, and most of the fanbase seems to agree.
Considering the Red Wings still have a realistic shot of making the playoffs, it seems unlikely that Holland will trade Vanek. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Holland trade Smith and either Ott or Miller in return for a draft pick or middling prospect. Ott and Miller play a similar role, so trading one of them makes sense. Smith is physical and has offensive potential, but there is simply not enough room for him with the emergence of Nick Jensen and Xavier Ouellet.
