TO CLOSE

Gustav Nyquist of the Detroit Red Wings is trying to stay calm as the trading deadline approaches. Filmed February 19, 2019 in Detroit.
Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press

How the Detroit The Red Wings best serve their reconstruction efforts at this year's trade deadline?

That's the question that General Manager Ken Holland and reception staff, including counselors and scouts, meet at the Little Caesars Arena this weekend to analyze. They have already knocked out defenseman Nick Jensen for a second-choice draft and defensive recovery. This follows the trend of the last two years that saw Brendan Smith and Tomas Tatar exchange their choices.

There are coins at play like Monday at 15h. the deadline is close, decisions must be made, free agents waiting and local perspectives.

Is there a farewell hug in the future of the Detroit Red Wings striker, Gustav Nyquist? (Photo11: Matt Slocum, AP)

Nyquist is tightening

Winger Gustav Nyquist (15 goals, 33 assists, 61 games) is on the pace for a career year. He's attractive to a team looking for help to score, even though his playoff record is lean (four goals, four assists in 35 games). Nyquist has a no-trade clause, but said it would be willing to give it up, depending on the situation.

Nyquist, 29, is in the final year of a contract with a salary cap of $ 4.75 million. The Wings were interested in a new Nyquist signature, but declined the five-year asking price at $ 5.5 million each. He will get that from someone he goes to the free market. If the Wings do not see it as part of their future, the sensible thing is to exchange it. By last year's trade deadline, Tatar had 16 goals and 12 assists in 62 games. It was a 2018 first-round pick, a 2019 second-round pick and a Vegas 2021 third-round pick. The Knights of Gold were loaded with choices left behind by their expansion plans, however, and Tatar was contracted until 2020-2021 with a cap of $ 5.3 million. Nyyquist is not likely to do the same thing, but a first-round pick, a second-round conditional choice that becomes a first if the team reaches the final phase of the conference, or a second-round pick and a second-round pick. good perspective, could be attractive. .

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Howard at home

Goaltender Jimmy Howard has been retired in his last two starts, but this is an anomaly in a pretty good season (2.88 goals against average, .910 save percentage in 42 games) . Howard, who turns 35 in March, will be an unrestricted free agent who will win a $ 5.3 million contract. The Wings would like to sign Howard again, but Holland said Friday that it would probably not happen before the trade deadline. The Wings do not have a goalie ready for the NHL, and they are unlikely to move it unless they have an outstanding offer.

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Other

Luke Glendening (9 goals, 11 assists in 62 games) is quick, defensive and confrontational, but is under contract for two more seasons under a very reasonable ceiling of 1, $ 8 million. The Wings see Glendening enjoying his leadership on the ice and in the locker room. They do not separate from him unless a paid team. Among the other UFAs, Niklas Kronwall is not going anywhere (he wants to end his career with the Wings) and Thomas Vanek either (he did not attract much interest two years ago and he has a non-exchange clause ).

The situation of Svechnikov

It has been nearly four years since the Wings drafted Evgeny Svechnikov to 19th in the overall standings in 2015. His season was interrupted by a knee injury in the breeding season and he underwent ACL reconstruction in the right knee. October 16th. -6 months. He is in the reserve of the wounded and, according to the rules of the ABC, teams can not assign IR players to minors. The Wings have contacted the NHL to see if it is possible to make him eligible for the playoffs of the AHL, even if Svechnikov should not be ready to play before mid-March.

The Wings are still trying to figure out what they have in Svechnikov – he showed promise in his first year of professional hockey (20 goals, a Calder Cup title) but struggled last season (seven goals). in 57 games with the Griffins, two goals and two assists in 14 games with the wings). Teams must make their players eligible for the AH playoffs by the deadline, so the Wings will try to determine their options.

Contact Helene St. James at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Learn more about the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter.