You can't move a signed player?
There's "can" and there's "rationally likely to occur to the degree that it makes any sense at all to even spend .000001 of a second considering it".
"Can" Detroit move either Nyquist or Abdelkader within 6 months of singing either to 4 and 7 year deals? Sure. Have we seen anything in the entirety of our lifetimes to suggest they'd ever actually do such a thing? No, we haven't.
Yes, if either or both of them flame out the Wings will get rid of them somehow a la Tootoo or Weiss, but as long as they keep doing generally what they've done so far Detroit, having signed them to the deals they have with that level of performance in mind, would have no real impetus to move them.
Are you basically just saying "oh well"? Like the Red Wings cannot do anything with trades? Because I doubt you would be on board with any scenario involving a trade to get better.
I am combining what I would prefer to happen with a wider comprehension of the things that are likely to happen, and setting my expectations accordingly.
For instance, at the time of the Legwand trade I wanted the team to burn it down. That was the perfect spot for them to do a short term tank. Trade Alfredsson, anybody who wasn't nailed to the floor except D, Z, Nyquist and Tatar.... but Detroit cares a lot more about their playoff streak (or their bottom line) than I do. So, I combine what I'd prefer with what I tend to think the people actually making the decisions prefer and I go from there.
Would I move Larkin, DeKeyser, Howard and a #1 (and maybe a top prospect or two) for a legit lead dman? For sure. Is there any chance in the universe Detroit would? Nope. Will that kind of guy ever be available in a trade anyway? Nope.
So, I can keep wishing for Detroit to make a move they'd never agree to for a player that'd never be available and slowly go mad, or I can move on to things that are somewhere in the realm of possibility.
Jarnkork didn't want to play in the minors anymore and there was no room for him on the big club. He didn't want to put in the time in Grand Rapids so they shipped him out. Same with Backman and Janmark. If prospects complain about being put through the Red Wings' system they're shipped out.
Agree... and to be clear, I'm not complaining about the trade per se. Given the likely motivations of the organization at the time, moving the players they did for Legwand made sense.
I'm just saying that what they wanted isn't the same thing as what I wanted, which matters not at all to them.
Also, I'm 100% on board with running prospects who don't want to go through the grinder directly out of town. Liv (rip), Axelsson, Jarnkrok, whoever.
At some point you need to add more youth to the lineup.
Detroit has 3 forwards over 28 on their active roster. D, Z, Richards.
They have forwards aged, 19, 24 and 25 in big roles.
They have 2 other 23 year olds they'd LOVE to give bigger roles to.
They have two guys on the blue line over 30.
They have a #1 goalie who is just almost 24.
Youth isn't even remotely on the edge of the solar system around which Detroit's actual problem rotates.
