David Legwand will center Detroit’s top line Thursday. (hockeyschedule, Flickr)
Maybe Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland overpaid for center David Legwand. Maybe it’s a move that will not matter in the long run anyway, with the Wings struggling to stay in the playoff race.
But Ken Holland would not have been a buyer at the NHL’s trade deadline if he did not think there was a reason to take a chance. So, perhaps in sending Patrick Eaves, Calle Jarnkrok and a third-round draft pick to Nashville for a rental player, Holland actually tipped his hand a bit: He must believe this Wings team not only can get to the playoffs but can make a run once it’s there.
The Red Wings’ run of 22 consecutive playoff appearances is one of the most impressive streaks in professional sports. They’ve navigated retirements and salary caps and lockouts and injuries along the way, including last season when they needed a very late push just to move into the top eight.
But for as much as that streak means to the franchise, it’s not worth enough to mortgage the future simply to push it out to 23 straight seasons. Holland and his staff have built a stockpile of talented young players, thereby ensuring that the Wings are competitive for years to come. Dismantling all that work simply to sneak into the No. 8 spot and run into the Penguins’ buzzsaw in Round 1 would be a mostly meaningless accomplishment for this storied franchise.
That’s why, all along leading up to the deadline, Holland hammered home the importance of making a “hockey deal” — one that could help this year’s team without costing the farm.
A decimated core of centers — Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Darren Helm and Stephen Weiss all are out of the lineup currently — forced him to backtrack slightly on that promise to keep the Wings afloat. He did so with a purpose, bringing in the type of player in Legwand who can play a leading role now and then complement the full roster if and when the Wings have it available.
Legwand will start his Wings career on the first line, out of necessity. Picture him, though, in the middle of line two or three, with Datsyuk carrying the main load and Helm behind him providing a speedy punch. The longtime Predators’ physical, two-way style is exactly the type of game that this team too often has been missing, both in the regular season and the playoffs. Perhaps, with a player like Legwand around in the past, the Wings could have gotten through Chicago or San Jose.
In other words, there’s a method to what appeared to be Ken Holland’s madness. Even with the Red Wings sitting fifth in the division and outside the wild-card picture, he set his sights on mid-April.
Just get in, he no doubt thought, and then we’ll see.
Let’s say that the Wings (miraculously, given this season’s progression) near 100 percent in time for the playoffs — Datsyuk’s three-week rest allows him to retake the ice, Weiss and Helm bounce back and even Zetterberg begins skating again. Would there be any team out there eager to run into the Wings’ talent and experience come the postseason?
Just get in. Not because the Red Wings will be shamed if they don’t claim a 23rd straight postseason berth or because the franchise needs the money from two or three home playoff games. Not because somehow claiming the seven- or eight-seed somehow makes for a much more successful season than finishing ninth.
Just get in, because if the Wings get in and get healthy, they’ll have a chance to do some serious damage. That all may look like a pipe dream right now, as player after player heads to the sideline while the competition charges up the standings. Maybe, when all is said and done, we’ll look back on 2013-14 as a lost season capped off by a questionable trade for an aging center.
The possibility exists, however, that Holland’s trade for Legwand gives the Wings just enough juice to reach the postseason. Once there, with the talent Detroit might have at its disposal, this team could surprise everyone again.
And that’s why Ken Holland made the deal.
