Rick Nash

Rick Nash scored 42 goals this past season but the New York Rangers might be looking to move him.

(The Associated Press)

Free agency is less than two weeks away. Trade talks are expected to heat up leading up to and during next week's entry draft in Sunrise, Fla.

Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland feels he's better positioned now than before to make a deal due to the organization's depth.

"I've talked to a number of managers, expect to continue to do so," Holland said on Wednesday. "Is there a fit? It appears the cap isn't going to go up a whole lot. We're exploring, but part of what we're doing is youth."

What will the Red Wings do? MLive readers, as always, have some suggestions.

Q: Do you happen to know if the rumors I've heard recently are true, about the Wings trading for Rick Nash? Would that be someone they would package one of our younger top players for? I hear New York is really thinking about moving him and I would love to see him as a Wing. I think he would really fit in nice with our team. - Mark

A: Nash's name has surfaced in trade rumors since the Rangers were eliminated in the Eastern Conference finals. The Red Wings made a pitch for him in 2012 but Columbus probably had no intention of trading him to (at that time) a division rival.

I don't know how Nash's limited no-trade clause reads but if he has a say in where he goes (if he goes) he'd probably want to join a team that's better positioned to win the Stanley Cup now. St. Louis, a talented perennial playoff flop, has been mentioned as a possible trade partner. Blues coach Ken Hitchcock coached Nash in Columbus.

From a Red Wings perspective, do you want to assume Nash's contract (three more seasons at a cap hit of $7.8 million) when you have many young players to re-sign over the next couple of years amid concerns about the cap not rising much? You'd be getting a big winger who can score goals in bunches in the regular season (he's coming off a career-high 42) but has had minimal impact in the playoffs (10 goals, 32 points in 60 games).

On top of that, he'd likely cost you, at minimum, a player like Gustav Nyquist, who's five years younger and much less expensive (he'll probably sign a deal similar to Tomas Tatar's $2.75 million cap hit).

Q: Now that it is fairly clear that he won't be returning to the Rangers, do you think the Red Wings might take a run at signing Martin St. Louis? Or might they consider trading for Patrick Sharp? - Ryan

A: The Red Wings have a history of signing one-time star offensive players nearing the end of their careers, like Mike Modano in 2010 and Daniel Alfredsson in 2013, but I doubt they would be interested in St. Louis. He's 40 and is showing signs of age, having little impact in the playoffs (one goal, seven points in 19 games). The Red Wings have their share of small forwards.

I wouldn't rule out a potential trade for Sharp. He's 33 and slipped a bit this season but has qualities that would appeal to the Red Wings (goal scorer, right-handed shot, decent size at 6-1, 200). The Blackhawks, facing a salary-cap crunch, can't possibly keep him. But his cap hit ($5.9 million for the next two seasons) probably is more than the Red Wings are willing to assume.

Q: Can you imagine the surge in interest by minority fans if the Wings could add an African American player to their organization? A big forward, (Joel) Ward is available. -- Kurt

A: I'm sure whether a player is a minority or not has no bearing on their personnel decisions. Ward is the kind of good-sized, hard-nosed winger with a scoring touch that will draw interest from many teams if he reaches free agency. Maybe he would interest the Red Wings, but his age (turns 35 in December) is a concern if he's seeking a long term.

Q: Why is it that Kenny Holland is so intent on not drafting/developing or signing bigger, grittier players? He seems to be totally against the formula that has brought them the last four Stanley Cups. If you look at the rosters of the last four (Red Wings Cup champions) you would see a well-blended roster of size, grit and skill with a touch of enforcer that kept opposing teams from getting foolish and making runs at our star players. On the offensive side we have far too many of the same type of role players and we sadly lack size and grit. We desperately need more of the grittier "in your face" type players that are not going to back off. Do you think he will change his drafting strategy away from undersized, more passive Euros and go to the bigger American and Canadian players? - Ted

A: The Red Wings have made a concerted effort to draft bigger players in recent years, like Riley Sheahan, Tomas Jurco, Anthony Mantha, Andreas Athanasiou and Tyler Bertuzzi. Last year, all of their picks were 6-foot or taller, including Americans Dylan Larkin and Dominic Turgeon.

It's not easy finding big, skilled North American forwards where the Red Wings draft (usually 20th or later). Every team is looking for those players.

Also, they've had some success over the years with "undersized Euros."

Q: Would it be better if the Wings missed the playoffs so that they could concentrate their focus on one thing as opposed to two goals? -- Kurt

A: No. A wise man once said, "You PLAY to WIN the game!," just before he was fired for losing, I believe.

They want to continue retooling while making the playoffs, rather than go in the tank and stockpile high picks.

"At the end of the day, our goal is to be a playoff team," Holland said this week. "We have a core group of players that still have some good hockey left in them. When you look at what transpired in the playoffs (taking Tampa Bay to Game 7 and then seeing the Lightning go to the Stanley Cup finals) it gives you hope. If we can get a little better and get back in we can be one of the teams that goes on a run."

Thanks for participating. If you have a Red Wings-related question, email me at akhan1@mlive.com.

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