Red Wings mailbag: Trade deadline, Holland, Blashill, Yzerman, more

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The NHL trade deadline is a week out, increasing attention on the Detroit Red Wings as they remain out of the playoff picture.

Perfect time for another Wings mailbag. Thank you for the questions.

Teams have inquired about Mike Green, as the offensive defenseman is the type of player teams eyeing a Stanley Cup like to add this time of year (Green suffered an upper0body injury Thursday and is out for the Nashville game, but coach Jeff Blashill said Saturday morning he does not believe the injury is long-term).

Tampa Bay is interested in Green, but since the Lightning will be picking late in rounds, the Wings want a pick and a prospect who is ready to play next season. There is also interest in goaltender Jimmy Howard. Petr Mrazek is not drawing interest – he was offered to Philadelphia after the Flyers lost Brian Elliott last week (he’s out five-to-six weeks) for an asking price of a third-round pick and the Flyers declined. The Wings are trying to move defenseman Xavier Ouellet, who doesn't fit into their plans any more. The Predators are interested in forward Gustav Nyquist is drawing interest, though he has a year left on his contract. Both Green and Nyquist would have to agree to be moved. Toronto is interested in forward Luke Glendening (who was a favorite of former Wings coach Mike Babcock, now coach of the Maple Leafs).

Management is committed to selling regardless of how the Wings perform before the Feb. 26 deadline. The front office wants to accumulate picks going into the 2018 draft, though at the same time the Wings are not going to accept low-ball offers. Defenseman Brendan Smith yielded a second- and third-round pick last year, and Green has more offensive skill than Smith.

Depend somewhat on what happens with general manager Ken Holland, who is in the last year of his contract. If Holland stays, Blashill stays. I know higher-ups in the organization think Blashill has done a good job given what he has to work with. Many players have played better than they did last season even though it doesn’t show in the standings. The team lacks the players to be a contender because the Wings are paying now for all those years of making the playoffs (which meant no high draft picks), but still manages to be in most games.

I know Holland, 62, wants to continue to work. I could see a scenario where he continues with the organization without a contract a la Jimmy Devellano, who transitioned from general manager to executive vice president in 1997 and has worked for years without a contract.

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Steve Yzerman is under contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning through next season. Why would he leave the Lightning? He took over as general manger of a team that had in place center Steven Stamkos (drafted first overall in 2008 after the Lightning finished 30th in the NHL that year) and defenseman Victor Hedman (drafted second overall in 2009 after the Lightning finished 29th that year). Yzerman has built Lightning into a Stanley Cup contender (and still also missed the playoffs three times since taking over in 2010). Why would he want to leave?

I’d do bridge deals for Anthony Mantha and Andreas Athanasiou. I think with Athanasiou, that will come as he is eligible this summer to file for arbitration, and the Wings then select one or two years. He’s inconsistent – so flashy sometimes, and then stretches where he’s very quiet. Mantha is establishing himself as a 20-plus goal scorer; if I were his agent, I’d take a bridge deal because he could be a big earner if he starts flirting with 35-40 goals a season. I’d sign Dylan Larkin for five years at around $5 million because he’s got such inner drive, and he’s only 21. He’s future captain material. But I don’t know if his agent would do that because again, Larkin probably could get more on the long-term deal that would come after a bridge deal this go-around.

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Contact Helene St. James: hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Check out our Red Wings Xtra app on Apple and Android!