The Detroit Red Wings unfortunately have the worst record in the NHL – by far. At 14-42-4 and with a staggering -102 goal differential, they’re a shoo-in to have the highest odds to land this year’s first overall draft selection, but as the doldrums of the regular season continue, that’s little silver lining.
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Following Saturday’s 4-1 loss to the Boston Bruins in which yet another lead was squandered, players acknowledged afterwards that they know changes could be coming ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline, which falls on February 24 this year – and that GM Steve Yzerman isn’t afraid to make moves.
“I think we all know the situation,” Frans Nielsen said. “We know anything can happen. We’ve seen from early this year that he isn’t afraid to pull the trigger if there’s a trade to be made. We are all aware of the situation.”
Yzerman has been with the team on their road trip that began with a disappointing loss against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday (again, blowing a lead).
So far, all seven trades he’s made since taking the reigns from Ken Holland have been for depth. One move he’s made paid immediate dividends, acquiring forward Robby Fabbri from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for checking forward Jacob de la Rose. The others, such as trading for defenseman Alex Biega and forward Brendan Perlini, aren’t likely factored into his long-term plans.
The good old days of the Red Wings being buyers at the NHL Trade Deadline are long gone, and we likely won’t see it again for quite a while.
– – Quotes via Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press Link– –
