Detroit Red Wings: Four players that could traded before Monday

Mike Green

The two time Norris Trophy runner-up is well into the back nine of his career, but he can still add depth to a playoff team.  Mike Green‘s time in Detroit is coming to an end, whether he’s traded or not.  The veteran defender is a pending free agent that won’t likely be retained by GM Steve Yzerman.

The hope is that Yzerman can do what Ken Holland has failed to do year after year, find a trade partner for Green’s services.  Ken Holland usually over-valued his assets.  Don’t forget, just a year ago Holland set the trade table for Jimmy Howard stating it’s a first-round pick or nothing for the veteran netminder, well no one came to eat.

He often overvalued Mike Green also hoping to land a first or second-round pick, failing to pull the trigger on a deal as teams inquired, and Green often landed on the shelf with an injury about this time of year making himself immovable.

As of now, Green is healthy. He’s not the same player he once was, but he’s a right-handed shot with a contract that is set to expire.  It’s been a defenseman heavy deadline this season; teams are willing to pay more for defenders this time of year take the Vegas Golden Knights, for example.  They recently traded two second-round picks to the Los Angeles Kings for Alec Martinez, who is 32 years old with 10 points on the season.

Sure they play different styles with Martinez being more of a defensive-minded defender, but he had some offensive abilities and regularly played on the Kings’ second power-play unit.  Green is much more offensively inclined but struggles in his own zone.  Green would be a perfect third-pairing player and power-play specialist for a team looking for a right-handed shot on the point.  Martinez is still a top-four defender on a good team.  Green is a top-two defender on the Red Wings, understand?

The steep return for Martinez is due to the term remaining.  He’s affordable at just $4M per season and under contract next season.  I’d expect Yzerman to seek a second-round pick for an expiring Green but settle for a third-rounder maybe even a fourth.  It’s like selling a used car, start high, and settle for whatever you can get.

Green’s recorded 3 goals, 8 assists in 48 games this season.  He’s an awful minus -30, but he’s averaging a touch over 21 minutes of ice per night.  His Corsi For is 46.1%, not great but average on the Red Wings.