The Detroit Red Wings have surprised many people this season. While they were grouped in with the Ottawa Senators and the Buffalo Sabres as the teams in the Atlantic Division with potential to make the playoffs due to their young core, most assumed that the Sens and Sabres had the better chance to get in.
And yet, with just 22 games left on the season, the Red Wings hold the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference and are having a much better season than the Sabres and Sens. They’re starting to reach the point where they can sit a bit comfier in the playoff race, as they now have eight points on the New Jersey Devils who sit in ninth in the East.
But with a run that’s come as a bit of a surprise means that the team is in a unique position at the deadline. They’re certainly not selling at the deadline, but is it worth it for the team to spend assets to bring in players, particularly rentals, especially when they aren’t quite in that echelon of Stanley Cup contenders in the Eastern Conference like the Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers, or even the second tier like the Toronto Maple Leafs or the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Frank Seravalli talked about the Red Wings trade deadline situation and how they could be the most interesting team heading into the deadline on Daily Faceoff Live.
Frank Seravalli: I think Steve Yzerman is the deadline’s biggest wild card. I think the Red Wings have asserted themselves as a firm playoff team that could do some damage in a wide open East. I think they still need some help on defense. I think they’re interested in players that have term as opposed to rentals. And I think it’s going to be really fun to watch over the next seven days.
You can watch the full episode here…
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