Red Wings 'open for business' ahead of trade deadline
Petr Mrazek may have been the first domino to fall in Detroit.
With his team set to miss the playoffs for the second straight year, Red Wings general manager Ken Holland is looking to restock the cupboards with draft picks and prospects with a view to the next wave of success.
"I want us to be a team that can compete for the Stanley Cup," Holland said Tuesday, per Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. "We are not quite where we need to be. In order to be there, we need to acquire draft picks, and we need to hit on those draft picks, or young players through trades. It’s about trying to acquire pieces that I think are going to impact this team three, four years down the road in order to build a team that’s a playoff team that’s got a young foundation. That’s the goal.
"I’m open for business," he added, "(but) I also believe that’s important to have team that’s competitive."
After dealing Mrazek to the Philadelphia Flyers, the Red Wings now have seven draft picks in the first four rounds this year, and another seven from rounds one to five in 2019.
Defenseman Mike Green is in the final year of his contract and is a logical candidate to be dealt prior to the Feb. 26 deadline.