Jacob Trouba has officially publicly demanded a trade. The Detroit Red Wings need an upgrade on defense.
Keep in mind his Agent Kurt Overhart mentioned this request was made in May and now after months of keeping quiet the trade request is now public. This means Detroit has most likely “kicked tires” and determined this was not an option.
There is simply not a scenario I can think of where you can legitimately trade for Trouba without in the short term taking a step back. It’s a gamble I think has to be made because of the failures to do anything to improve the blueline.
Also, Trouba is an restricted free agent. Back in December, the Winnipeg Free Press reported Trouba requested $56 million over eight years. Now, obviously that will not be a workable number for Detroit.
What Would It Take?
It would take a lot to acquire Trouba. They don’t have to trade him, they own his rights. You have to make Kevin Cheveldayoff think your offer is the best route to resolve the Trouba matter.
You would have to, if you’re Detroit include your 2017 1st round pick, but Trouba being only 22 takes the risk away if you just miss the playoffs. Now if for some unexpected reason everything goes wrong this season, the risk is massive. Then Brendan Smith who has a cap hit of $2.75 million and Gustav Nyquist who has a cap hit of $4.75 would need to be included in the discussion as going back to the Jets (Tomas Tatar’s name will surely come up if it hasn’t already.). I would also imagine you would have to add a legitimate prospect, based on the number teams that will be interested in making a trade with the Jets.
Be prepared to give more. Be prepared to part with a prospect you don’t want to move.
At some point, I believe the Red Wings are going to have to go out of what the comfort zone has been for them and make a statement trade for a defenseman. I think looking longer term such as this trade would mean, is not a bad thing given the current state of the Wings.
How Likely Is This?
Now, the problem with making a trade for Trouba, for Detroit anyway would be an admission of a rebuild. This is something Red Wings general manager Ken Holland is against and something that would run counter to the moves he made this offseason. The team is content scrapping into the playoffs to keep the streak alive for now.
If you like the streak and believe they can retool on the fly, then Trouba is not for your Red Wings team. If you’re thinking like I am, and do not believe the Red Wings are going in the right direction then Trouba is for you. I am okay with missing the playoffs if it meant longer term success.
As much as I would like to see Trouba in Detroit, there is much to think about. First, the cost to acquire him makes it nearly impossible from a Red Wings perspective without changing the current philosophy of the organization. Second, Holland’s history tells us he doesn’t make these type of trades or for that matter any trade of major significance in recent history. It is very unlikely.
Final Thoughts
Being able to land a good defenseman is becoming harder and harder in the NHL, specifically a good young defenseman. When one like this becomes available I believe you should do whatever it takes to land him. Yes, the cost will be high. Yes, it is a risk. However, the last few years shows us that playing it safe has only resulted in the status quo, that has landed the Red Wings in a situation where they desperately need a Trouba.
The last thing you want to happen is two or three years down the road saying, “We should have gone all in on Trouba in 2016.”
At the very least, it’s fun to dream about what if he became a Wing.
