After completely striking out on free agent defensemen, the Detroit Red Wings may need to make a big trade in order to address their most pressing concern.
Detroit's blue line was not good by any means last season, and it has already taken a hit this season as Kyle Quincey, who has been more of a liability in recent years, was signed to a two-year extension worth $8 million.
EIGHT. MILLION. DOLLARS. For two years.
Other than the fact that Detroit's defensive corps is weaker than is has been in decades, the fact that every single defenseman on the roster is left-handed handicaps the team even more.
This has led to speculation that Detroit could trade for a right-handed defenseman, and there may not be a better one out there than Washington Capitals blueliner Mike Green.
Green is an offensive defenseman who sometimes is so aggressive that he seems like a forward, but his defensive numbers have not been bad either, especially for playing on a Washington team that is based almost exclusively on offense.
Green has scored 103 career goals in 503 career games at the NHL level, managing an average of a goal every five games - pretty impressive for a defenseman.
He scored a mind-blowing 31 goals in the 2008-09 season; a campaign that he followed up with a nineteen-goal, 57-assist performance the next year.
Green struggled with injury issues the next three seasons, but still managed to net twelve goals in 35 games in 2013; a season shortened by the lockout as well as an injury for Green.
The Red Wings would have to fork out quite a bit to get Green from the Capitals, but he is definitely worth a look. Washington may be more willing to deal him now that it has signed defensemen Matt Niskanen and Brooks Orpik and has attempted to take a more defensive style with Barry Trotz as head coach.
Detroit has nearly all the tools it needs to be a top contender again, but the Wings need to add a top-tier defenseman to be considered a real threat to anyone. Mike Green may be the perfect addition to put Hockeytown on the map again.