Red Wings Questions: Free Agency Week 2

First post by our new staff writer Brooks Lofay. It is clear Wings’ fans are disappointed in not landing the two premier talents this summer in Ryan Suter and Zach Parise. The Wings did what they could to try and land Suter (13 years $90 million), but family and the opportunity to play with the former Devils’ captain, in Minnesota, prevailed. Some may consider this a lost summer, but not so fast. Talent still remains on the market. Shane Doan should be, and likely is, the focal point this second week. He brings leadership, and a tenacity that is not shown in his age of 35. He may be an aging star, but he showed last year that he has plenty left in the tank to help the Wings. Detroitis yet to submit an official offer, but look for that to change this week when Doan officially will begin to explore his options for next season.

Another option includes Alexander Semin of the Washington Capitals. At age 28 he has a huge upside, but the risk is greater than the reward in the eyes of several teams. He has been to known to be a bit of a showboat and a locker room liability. That being said, leadership has never been a strong point in Washington, but that is a completely different story in Detroit. Playing under Mike Babcock and alongside fellow Russian Pavel Datsyuk could be exactly what the former 40 goal scorer needs. Word around the league is that he is looking for a long term deal in the ballpark of $5 million per season. This is a risk of a signing, but Semin would be surrounded by players and a staff that is different than what he dealt with in Washington. If anyone in the league can keep Semin motivated and bring that star potential out of him, it would be Mike Babcock and the Detroit Red Wings. Look for Doan and Semin to be 1-A and 1-B options for the Red Wings.

The trade market also consists of players that the Wings have shown interest in. Yes, they have inquired about Rick Nash, but the price is likely way too high (Filppula, Smith/Nyquist, several first round draft picks). Bobby Ryan out ofAnaheimis another option, but would the Ducks be willing to handle Filppula as the centerpiece of the deal knowing that he will be an unrestricted free agent next offseason? That seems highly unlikely. The best possible option for the Wings in regards to the trade market is Keith Yandle of the Coyotes. He is a young defender which is an area of need here inDetroitafter the departures of Lidstrom and Stuart. With the ownership issues being faced inPhoenix, they might be willing to accept less in a trade for Yandle. Only time will tell, but week 2 of NHL free agency is shaping up to be the week when the Post Suter/Parise dominoes begin to fall. Stay Tuned.