Mike-Green

Mike Green has tremendous offensive skills and a right-handed shot, just what the Red Wings need on defense.

(The Associated Press)

DETROIT – As soon as the Washington Capitals committed $11.25 million in salary cap space to free-agent defensemen Matt Niskanen and Brooks Orpik on July 1, Mike Green's fate seemingly was sealed.

Green is destined to be traded.

The Detroit Red Wings, desperately seeking a right-handed shooting defenseman who can quarterback the power play, are an ideal fit.

Unable to acquire a top-four right-handed shooting defenseman through free agency (they pursued Niskanen, Dan Boyle and Stephane Robidas), the Red Wings can only fill that need through a trade.

They've inquired about Buffalo's Tyler Myers, Edmonton's Jeff Petry, Toronto's Cody Franson and others, but Green makes the most sense. The Capitals don't need him, and because he's entering the final year of his contract (at slightly more than $6 million), the cost of acquiring him shouldn't be as steep as it would be with the others.

Washington has eight defensemen on one-way contracts, one more than they need. Niskanen essentially replaces Green on the top power-play unit. The Capitals have just 12 forwards; they need one more and have only $1.1 million of cap space. Unloading Green would give them flexibility.

Injuries have hampered the 28-year-old Green in recent years -- he's played more than 70 games only once since 2008-09. But he has a lot of offensive ability -- he's a tremendous skater, moves the puck and can quarterback the power play.

The Red Wings need those skills and wouldn't be deterred by Green's defensive shortcomings.

What would the Red Wings be willing to part with to get Green? Teams looking to deal young defensemen have been asking for a top young forward or high-end prospect. If the Red Wings are reluctant to part with the likes of Gustav Nyquist, Tomas Tatar or Anthony Mantha (whom they consider untouchable) for someone like Myers, they're not going to relinquish that much for Green, who might amount to a one-year rental.

The Red Wings have the same seven left-handed shooting defensemen from last season after re-signing Kyle Quincey (two years, $8.5 million) on July 1.

If the Red Wings acquire another defenseman, they likely will trade Jakub Kindl, who has three years at $2.4 million per season remaining on his contract. He regressed last season might not emerge from coach Mike Babcock's doghouse.

The Capitals don't need a defenseman, however. That could be a sticking point in talks with the Red Wings.

Detroit is desperate to make a move. Washington probably isn't in a rush to move Green. It can wait for the best offer this summer or move him early in the season.

Salary-cap space is not an issue for the Red Wings. They're $9.5 million under the $69 million cap, though they still need to re-sign restricted free agents Tatar and Danny DeKeyser.

Green's list of potential suitors is limited. At least 10 teams wouldn't have the cap space to acquire him without shedding salary. Many more don't need a defenseman. Others would be out of the mix if Green invoked his limited no-trade clause.

The Dallas Stars need another defenseman and are the only other team lacking a right-handed shooter on the back end. San Jose also is short on defensemen.

Those are just a couple of other possibilities in what appears to be a select market for Green.

Wherever Green goes, he's going to want big minutes, particularly on the power play. Heading toward unrestricted free agency in 2015 -– it's shaping up as another thin class -- he needs a big season to cash in.

He can get that opportunity in Detroit.

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