NBCSN’s coverage of the 2019-20 NHL season continues with the Wednesday Night Hockey matchup between the Detroit Red Wings and Minnesota Wild. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN. You can watch the game online and on the NBC Sports app by clicking here.
The Red Wings and Wild aren’t currently sitting in playoff spots, but there’s several reasons why this will be an intriguing matchup. If both teams miss the postseason, they’ll have several key assets to sell off before the Feb. 24 trade deadline.
Which players could these teams put on the market? The Red Wings have a few rentals they could send to various contenders. Wild GM won’t have the luxury of making many “easy” rental deals between now and the deadline. A lot of his players are under contract beyond this season. Will the Wild be able to make multiple hockey deals? Can they find a way to get younger in a hurry?
One of the expiring contracts on the Wild roster is Mikko Koivu. It just doesn’t seem likely that they would move him at this point. Even though he’s 35, he’s been with the Wild his entire career and he probably won’t be going anywhere unless he wants to anyway.
Let’s take a deeper look at who both teams might make available:
Trevor Daley - D - Red Wings:
Daley missed four games with an undisclosed injury earlier this month, but he’s managed to return to the lineup for the last three games. The 36-year-old is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. He has two assists in 25 games in 2019-20. He could be an intriguing depth addition for any team looking to add a bottom-pairing defender to their roster. Daley can provide the Red Wings with a 15-team no-trade list.
Mike Green - D - Red Wings:
Green is expected to miss a couple of weeks after suffering an injury against Colorado earlier this week. The veteran isn’t nearly as productive as he was during his days with Washington, but he could provided some depth on the right side of a contender’s defense. He has just eight points in 41 games, but he’s averaging over 21 minutes of ice time with the Wings this season. Green has a full no-trade clause until Feb. 1. After that date, he submits a list of 10 teams he doesn’t want to go to. Like Daley, he’ll be a UFA at the end of the season.
Jonathan Ericsson - D - Red Wings:
Ericsson is another potential rental for a team looking to add a depth player. He’s been limited to just nine games this year, which limits his already limited value on the trade market. The 35-year-old also has a limited no-trade clause that prevents him from being dealt to 19 teams of his choosing. If the Wings can move him, it won’t be for very much.
Andreas Athanasiou - W - Red Wings:
It’s been a tough year for Athanasiou. Not only has he missed the last 10 games with a lower-body injury, he’s also been a lot less productive when he’s actually in the lineup. After scoring 30 goals and 54 points last season, the 25-year-old has five goals and 19 points in 36 games this year. Athanasiou is scheduled to become a restricted free agent at the end of the season, so the Wings shouldn’t be in a rush to trade him. Even though he’s having a down year, he should be able to net the team some significant assets.
Jonas Brodin - D - Wild:
Sometimes, you gotta give to get. This draft class is considered to be one of the deepest we’ve seen in years. If the Wild want to accumulate more draft capital, they’ll need to trade someone with some heavy value. Brodin doesn’t put up big offensive numbers, but he’s a reliable defender that would be a welcomed addition on many teams. The 26-year-old has 20 points in 49 games. He has another year remaining on his contract at a reasonable cap hit of $4.166,667 million. If the Wild want to move him, multiple teams will be interested.
Ryan Donato - W - Wild:
Donato was a big part of the trade that sent Charlie Coyle to the Boston Bruins last year. Unfortunately for the youngster, things haven’t worked out that well in Minnesota. He’s been a healthy scratch on four different occasions this year and he’s been on the fourth line recently, too. Donato has a year left on his current contract (he’ll earn $1.9 million) before he becomes a restricted free agent. He’s still only 23 years old. Someone out there will be interested in taking him on if the Wild want to unload him. Donato was the 14th player mentioned on Frank Seravalli’s Trade Bait board.
Marcus Foligno - W - Wild:
Foligno isn’t known for his offensive skills, but he’s actually picked up eight points in his last eight games. The 28-year-old has the frame that a lot of teams are looking for for a Stanley Cup run (he’s 6-foot-3, 228 pounds). The veteran has one more season remaining on a contract that pays him $2.875 million. If Guerin wants to move him, he’ll find takers.
Jason Zucker - W - Wild:
Zucker’s been on the trading block since last year when former GM Paul Fenton clearly made him available. The 28-year-old has 13 goals and 27 points in 39 games this season. He missed time with a lower-leg injury, but he’s been back for five games now. Zucker can submit a 10-team no-trade list and he has three years remaining on his deal at $5.5 million per season. Trading him in-season won’t be easy.
Kenny Albert, Eddie Olczyk and Pierre McGuire will have the call from Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn. Pre-game coverage starts at 7 p.m. ET, hosted by Liam McHugh with analysts Mike Milbury and Keith Jones.
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Joey Alfieri is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @joeyalfieri.