Should the Detroit Red Wings trade or re-sign Luke Glendening?

Should the Detroit Red Wings trade center Luke Glendening or make an effort to re-sign him before he hits the open market this summer?

That’s becoming a real question surrounding Detroit Red Wings faceoff specialist Luke Glendening, re-sign or trade?  It seems like a topic we’ve been talking about over the past three seasons.  The fourth line center, or in Detroit’s case, third line and in some cases second line (sigh) constantly finds himself in the trade conversation.

It’s a topic that can exhaust many players and even the fans, but it’s something worth bickering about.

As the rebuilding Detroit Red Wings continue to search for any piece that provides both we, the fan, and the organization any hope that may keep us optimistic in the future, a bottom-six face-off specialist isn’t exactly something to salivate over.

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You can certainly build a case that justifies re-signing Glendening. Still, the soon-to-be 32-year old forward likely won’t be around when the organization has finally turned the corner and are prepared to string together a few consecutive seasons in which they are once again contending for the Stanley Cup.

Detroit Red Wings general manager (GM) Steve Yzerman won’t be rushing out to sign a checking forward to a five-year deal.  If the Red Wings hope to retain Glendening, it will likely be a maximum of a three-year contract that takes Glendening to 35-years old.  Although I’d bet Yzerman would prefer to go year-to-year with Glendening if possible.

Glendening currently averages $1.8 million per season; he’d certainly expect to receive a raise.  His agent is educated.  You can’t possibly think he’d sign for less or the same, knowing that he’s repeatedly mentioned in trade talks.  I expect Glendening’s new deal will average somewhere around $2.5 million.

At that price, it’s not out of the question that the Detroit Detroit Red Wings will attempt to re-sign Luke Glendening.

The Red Wings possess a plethora of cap space and currently have upwards of $7.5 million in space available.  At the end of this season, defenseman Marc Staal who earns $5.7 million, netminder Jonathan Bernier ($3 MM), Valtteri Filppula ($3 MM), Darren Helm ($3.85 MM), and Patrik Nemeth ($3 MM) are all coming off of the books.

Should the Detroit Red Wings trade Luke Glendening?

On Saturday, Glendening recorded his first points in over 40 games, scoring a goal and adding two assists in a rare Detroit victory over the Nashville Predators.

It was a unique offensive outburst from the Red Wings fourth line.  Adam Erne went end-to-end looking like Pavel Datsyuk scoring on a weak backhander.  Glendening also scored with his patented backhander, another one that should keep veteran goaltender Pekka Rinne up for days.

That just as I chose to rant about head coach Jeff Blashill fielding a lineup that doesn’t include Michael Rasmussen, Givani Smith, and Taro Hirose. Go figure.

Glendening isn’t a player that will fetch a lot in return.  A first or second-round pick won’t even be considered.  The Red Wings should jump on a third-round choice if it’s offered up.  Anything beyond that, unless it’s multiple fourths, etc. Yzerman should consider retaining Glendening.

Glendening is a reliable penalty killer and a remarkable faceoff-man who is winning a whopping 66% of his draws.  The veteran forward provides Detroit with a flawed Corsi For Percentage of 41.2% during the 2021 season.