DETROIT – Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland made a concerted effort to clear some roster spots and shed salary by making a trade this off-season, but had no luck.

It doesn't appear as if anything will materialize before the season.

“Things are pretty quiet,'' Holland said Tuesday. “There's not much going on.

“At this stage, lots of teams will go to camp feeling their kids will fill holes for them.''

That will force the Red Wings to seek other means to trim up to two players before the start of the season.

“If we have to go to training camp with what we have I feel OK,'' Holland said. “There will be more talk in camp. There's moves to be made to get ourselves cap compliant.''

He declined to specify those potential moves.

Once the Red Wings sign restricted free agent forward Gustav Nyquist, they will be slightly over the $64.3 million salary cap and have 25 players under contract, two over the limit.

But if there are multiple injuries they won't need to trim anybody.

Holland said the only player whose status for the start of the season is questionable is center Darren Helm. His ailing back, which limited him to one game in 2013, is improving but nobody knows how it will respond to physical play once he starts pushing it hard in training camp and the preseason.

If the Red Wings have 25 healthy players after the exhibition season (when rosters must be finalized), they can buy some time by sending Nyquist and/or defenseman Danny DeKeyser to the Grand Rapids Griffins. They are the only players on the NHL roster exempt from waivers.

The Red Wings could opt to waive a veteran like Patrick Eaves and assign him to Grand Rapids if he clears.

Under the new CBA, clubs receive only limited cap relief ($100,000 for players who signed at age 35 or over and a maximum of $925,000 for others) for players who clear waivers.

Forwards Daniel Cleary and Damien Brunner remain unsigned but Holland said the club is not in a position to add any players.

Red Wings, Nyquist still talking

Holland said of Nyquist: “We've done a lot of talking in the last couple of weeks. I anticipate getting it done. We're close on a one-year, talking two years.''

Nyquist would prefer to sign for two years, but there's a difference of opinion on salary. That could force him to sign for one year.