Erik Cole

Dallas Stars left wing Erik Cole would give the Red Wings a different dimension with his size and physical play, in addition to his offensive ability.

(The Associated Press)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - As Monday's NHL trade deadline approaches, Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland is debating whether to make a move or stand pat.

"One minute I think I shouldn't do anything, the next minute I think these guys have played their (rears) off for 60 games, maybe I should help them a little bit," Holland said. "But help can't just be a body."

The Red Wings would like to add a player who provides a different dimension, like a skilled right-handed shooting defenseman or a big, gritty winger. But they're not prepared to part with valued assets (high-end prospects, their first-round pick or good, young roster players).

Holland said he's been in touch with several teams and will continue to talk to general managers over the next couple of days leading up to the 3 p.m. Monday deadline. Cap space is not an issue since the Red Wings can acquire as much as $9 million in contracts.

"We're exploring if there's players out there that would make our team better; not looking for a lateral move," Holland said. "If there's only lateral moves or the price is higher than we're prepared to pay, we won't do anything."

As much as the Red Wings would like to add an offensive defenseman who shoots right, they might be more inclined to acquire a decent-sized winger who can provide offense.

Erik Cole of the Dallas Stars is a possibility. He's a big (6-2, 210), physical left wing who'll be unrestricted on July 1 and probably wouldn't cost too much. Cole, 36, has 18 goals and 33 points in 57 games.

The Red Wings have depth on defense, not so much at forward. There is no guarantee that Johan Franzen (concussion) will return this season; if he does, how effective would he be?

Darren Helm suffered an upper-body injury in Saturday's 4-3 victory at Nashville and will be evaluated on Sunday.

Holland said he has no qualms about adding a rental (player in the final year of his contract) if the price is right.

The Red Wings aren't feeling pressure to make a deal. With 21 games remaining, they're comfortably secure in a playoff position, challenging Montreal and Tampa Bay for first place in the Atlantic Division.

"We appear to be playing pretty good hockey, growing as a team," Holland said. "If we can find a player to upgrade us, give us another dimension, we'll do it."

Right-shooting defensemen like Jeff Petry (Edmonton) and Zbynek Michalek (Arizona) would provide an upgrade, but would it be enough of an upgrade to make the price palatable?

Petry has good size (6-3), he can transport and shoot the puck, but he isn't hard to play against. Neither Petry or Michalek, who's essentially Alexey Marchenko with nearly 700 games of NHL experience, would provide much offense.

They're not prepared to assume a hefty contract, like Dion Phaneuf's. The Toronto captain would provide an upgrade with his booming shot and physical play but he has six more seasons left at a $7 million cap hit.

The Red Wings have several players to sign over the next couple of seasons, including Gustav Nyquist, Brendan Smith, Justin Abdelkader, Darren Helm and Danny DeKeyser.

That's why the Red Wings might be more inclined to pursue Marek Zidlicky of New Jersey, a 38-year-old right-handed shooting defenseman who can quarterback the power play.

The Red Wings have turned second-round picks into good players (Abdelkader, Tomas Tatar, Tomas Jurco, Xavier Ouellet, Ryan Sproul), but Holland said he is prepared to deal his second-round selection for the right player. The Red Wings don't have a third-round pick in 2015, having traded it to move up to select Dominic Turgeon at last summer's draft.

"Our team has played at a high level," Holland said. "We've tried to test our depth, played Ouellet, Marchenko, (Petr) Mrazek for periods of time. We feel pretty good about our depth, the development of young players."

Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said it's a tough call for the organization, whether to deal or not.

"I always do the same thing each and every year," Babcock said. "You put together what you think can help your team and then it's between the pro scouts and the general manger to weigh the costs and the help now and the damage later. And I don't think like that. I just think like a coach, so I try not to worry about that. I try to live right here, right now in the present.

"This is where my job's much different than Kenny's job. And it's the same as the last day in training camp. I just want to win tomorrow and he wants to build an organization. So these are hard decisions. We like winning, we like winning now, but we like winning every year. We're kind of greedy that way. Hard decisions."

Has Babcock's opinion on the team's needs changed over the past month or so? He was vague.

"As the league goes on and the pace picks up and there's less space, some guys have really taken off and other guys haven't traveled at the same pace as the team," Babcock said. "So suddenly your needs might not be the same as they were a month ago."

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