Kevin Shattenkirk

Kevin Shattenkirk's offensive skills and right-handed shot would make him appealing on the trade market if the Blues shopped him.

(The Associated Press)

With most of the prominent free agents signed and a few high-profile trades consummated, it should be a fairly quiet two months around the NHL, as it usually is from mid-July to the start of training camps.

Some noteworthy players remain in the market. A few teams might pursue a trade, to free salary-cap space or to seek an upgrade.

Will the Detroit Red Wings do anything noteworthy between now and mid-September? Here's what M-Live readers are wondering:

Q: Kevin Shattenkirk's name has been floating around in trade rumors. Even though the Wings got (Mike) Green, do you see any scenario where we could add Shattenkirk? -- Mort

A: The Blues claim they're not trading him and are probably being sincere. He has two years remaining at a cap hit of $4.25 million. I think the Blues would be more inclined to move him next off-season, if it appears he won't re-sign with them.

I imagine the Red Wings would be interested. Shattenkirk isn't big (5-11, 207), but he's quick and has offensive ability. Plus, he shoots right.

The tricky part is deciding what to relinquish for a player you might have for only one season, since he'll be unrestricted in 2017.

Q: I'm surprised the Blackhawks haven't been able to unload Patrick Sharp. Obviously, they need to lower their demands. The Wings, even with their roster being crowded, could use a scoring winger, especially a right shot. Any chance they could still deal for Sharp? -- Margaret

A: Highly doubtful. The Red Wings will be right at the cap once they sign restricted free agents Gustav Nyquist, Tomas Jurco and Teemu Pulkkinen. Even if they wanted Sharp, they'd need to dump an equal amount of salary (he has a $5.9 million cap hit for two more seasons). The Blackhawks are trying to clear cap space, so they're not going to want to take back much salary in return.

Q: I know Ken Holland has stated he will not trade Jimmy Howard and expects him to compete with Petr Mrazek. But what if Mrazek shows he's the best man in camp? Makes no sense paying your back-up ($5.3 million). Shouldn't they look to move Howard at the start of the season in that case? - Doug

A: Even if they wanted to trade Howard - and they don't - you're not going to be able to move a highly paid goaltender at or near the start of the season, when every team is set in net. And even if a team's starter is injured, it's not going to rush out and acquire a goalie that has four years remaining on his contract at a $5.3 million cap hit.

All of that is beside the point, which is the Red Wings want Howard and Mrazek to compete for the starting job in camp and push each other. As well as Mrazek played down the stretch and in the playoffs, he hasn't played a full NHL season as the No. 1 goalie. Howard was an All-Star before missing a month with a groin injury and wasn't the same when he returned.

You need two capable goalies in case of injury. Their combined cap hit of $6 million is palatable. If Mrazek is the clear-cut starter at season's end, he'll get a sizable raise (he'll be a restricted free agent after this season) and they'll probably look to move Howard next off-season.

Q: Finally they brought in a guy who can actually fight and protect the team's skill players in Eric Tangradi. What are the chances he makes the team? If not, do you see him getting called up regularly, especially against teams that like to rough it up like Boston and Ottawa? -- Don

A: The odds are against Tangradi making the roster out of camp. They have 14 forwards, not including Johan Franzen, whose status is uncertain (concussion), and Dylan Larkin, who'll be given an opportunity to make the team.

If they have a couple of injuries and feel they need some size and toughness on the fourth line they can call on Tangradi from Grand Rapids.

Q: I most certainly was not suggesting (last week) that you aim to just miss the playoffs. I was suggesting that you make hard decisions that will improve the team in the long run, even if it means that you risk missing the playoffs in the short term. Don't trade for (David) Legwand just so you can limp into the playoffs. Don't (acquire Erik) Cole when the real need is on defense. Cut the dead weight, cheap depth that does nothing to improve your chances of winning. Give (Xavier Ouellet) an opportunity to play all year with the big club, trade expiring UFAs before they leave for nothing in the off-season. No one is buying the 'just get in and anything can happen' line anymore. We have seen enough first-round exits to last us a while. - Justin

A: I disagree. You should do anything within reason to boost your chances of making the playoffs. And even though they've lost in the first round in three of the past four years, I believe any club that gets in has a chance to go on a run because teams are closer than ever before. First-round upsets are much more prevalent in the NHL than in the NBA or NFL.

So I don't have any issues with the acquisitions of Legwand - they were decimated at center at the time - or Cole, who would have helped with his size and scoring ability if not for his (likely) career-ending neck injury.

The Red Wings don't trade impending unrestricted free agents (Jiri Hudler in 2012, Valtteri Filppula in 2013, Kyle Quincey in 2014), believing the player is more valuable to their playoff push than anything they can get for him (usually a second-round pick). Even if it appears they'll lose the player for nothing, this is the way to go.

Q: What do you make of the inability of Xavier Ouellet and Alexey Marchenko to win jobs over (Jakub) Kindl, (Brendan) Smith and (Jonathan) Ericsson? The organization likes to tell us how great these prospects are (or that what they have is as good as what is available in the trade or free agency market). At the same time, these guys can't seem to steal jobs from pretty mediocre NHL defensemen. Are we overrating our defensive prospects at this point? - Justin

A: Take Ericsson out of the equation. He didn't have a strong season but as a top-pair defenseman he was never in danger of losing his job to a rookie.

Marchenko beat out Kindl for a spot in the lineup in February but was sent down after Marek Zidlicky arrived. Marchenko returned and played the first two playoff games in place of Smith before the rookie was scratched.

Barring injuries or a trade, it appears Marchenko and Ouellet will start the season in Grand Rapids. They're better off playing regularly in the AHL than watching games as extras in Detroit, which is set with its top six (Niklas Kronwall, Ericsson, Mike Green, Danny DeKeyser, Kyle Quincey, Smith).

I don't think anybody is overrating Marchenko and Ouellet. They move the puck well and they're solid defensively but aren't going to put up a lot of points. They're good players but right now I wouldn't rank them ahead of anyone in the top six.

Q: Will Kindl get another chance under (Jeff) Blashill? Do you think he could win back a spot on the bottom pairing if he has a good camp, or will he be forced to wait until someone gets injured? Do you think Kindl could still contribute to the team's success? - Tim

A: Blashill indicated Kindl will get an opportunity to win a job in training camp. But if there are no injuries among the top six, the odds are against Kindl cracking the lineup.

It will be interesting to see if Kindl can flourish now that Mike Babcock isn't here. We'll see how that plays out. But having a No. 7 defenseman with a $2.4 million cap hit isn't ideal, so maybe they'll trade him if the opportunity arises.

Q: Is there any chance the Wings would use Brendan Smith as a power forward in limited situations, power play, etc.? - Dan

A: I doubt it. Blashill said he might give Smith a chance on the power play. If so, I imagine he'll be at the point or the half-wall.

Q: You don't hear that much about Joe Hicketts being one of the Wings' better prospects but he put up great numbers in the WHL last season. He finished second in defense scoring. Do you think the Wings see him as a puck-moving defenseman that could help on the power play some day or is he just too small at 5-8 to make an impact in the NHL? - Chris

A: His size will make it that much tougher to reach the NHL, especially for a defenseman. But he can use Brian Rafalski, Torey Krug and Tobias Enstrom for inspiration. Time will tell.

Thanks for participating. I'll be on vacation the next four weeks but will return in mid-August to take your questions.

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