Should the Detroit Red Wings trade for Aaron Ekblad?

Should the Detroit Red Wings trade for Aaron Ekblad?

today on lockdown Red Wings should the Detroit Red Wings make a play for Aaron eblad of the Florida Panthers you’re locked on Red Wings your daily podcast on the Detroit Red Wings part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day welcome back to the lockdown Red Wings podcast we are your hosts Brian fiser and Scotty Bentley I’m formerly of 971 the ticket where Scot host over at lockdown tigers as well as a freelance journalist for the Detroit news and today’s episode is going to be a trade hypothetical right there’s a there’s a few reasons for this trade hypothetical of Aaron eblad one prior to free agency and so you know a good 10 days ago now there was a report from David pagata that Aaron eblad could be on the trade block for the Florida Panthers as they have to had to extend you know Sam Reinhardt and get under the cap and all that and as it stands right now they are not under the cap and have too many players on the roster figured now would be a good time to maybe talk about it other big reason is it’s the offseason we have five days a week to fill in July here so we figured it’d be a fun conversation to kind of bring you guys this trade hypothetical what because while it might not be the most realistic which we’ll get into here in segment one this is a situation the Florida Panthers might have to deal with like in seriousness about a year from now and Bill zto the general manager has a history of Mak making Blockbuster trades so while it might not be the most realistic that doesn’t mean that it can’t happen either so we’ll talk about that and so much more but first I got to let you guys know that today’s episode is brought to you by Game Time download the game time app create an account and use code locked on NHL for $20 off your first purchase terms and conditions apply also want to thank you guys for making lockdown Red Wings your first listen every day we are free and available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day so Scotty let’s let’s let’s kind of circle back to that where I started right Aaron blad 28-year-old right-handed defenseman in the final year of a contract where he’s making $7.5 million he is a force to be reckoned with on the back end with the Florida Panthers and he also would feel a huge need for the Detroit Red Wings which is that impact right side demon that we keep hammering home and the Florida Panthers are in a weird position now where and this is what happens when you win a Stanley Cup is there’s ultimately going to end up being sacrifices somewhere along the way whether it be this year or next year you know I just want to ask the question do you see a future where Aeron neck blad is traded Away by the Florida Panthers after we we heard these rumors from David pagn I believe Emily Kaplan even addressed it on TSN too so there’s there you know there’s a little bit of smoke here I don’t know if there’s a fire but there’s a little bit of smoke here at least in the last couple couple weeks yeah you know I I think that there is very much a world in which they do trade him I don’t think that it’s the most likely world right like I I do think that the most likely scenario if you were to ask me today would still be that he’s just on the Panthers and that they kick the can down the road and they’ll deal with that problem next summer right and and they go you know what the goal is to be the best team in hockey and there’s an argument that we are that speaking at obviously the Panthers and and he’s a big reason why eblad is and so I think that there’s a very very real possibility and I again I would say the most likely scenario is still that he is that they just hold on to him throughout this season and again they they kind of deal with that problem uh when they uh reach it which would be a lot more next season or next off season rather I I do think though that there is a chance and and the reason why would be kind of the reasons you already laid out right like the the reason why would just be you know what we want to get out ahead of it um the earlier you trade someone the more years of control you trade someone the more value they’re going to have obviously and you know he’s up against the end of that contract anyways but uh I I do think that it it’s not a ridiculous conversation for us to have I do think that it is enough in the realm of possibility where it’s worth a discussion at a minimum right and if you’re the Florida Panthers obviously you’re looking down the the barrel of a choice here it’s either you do what you did with Jonathan hubero right like you trade hubero and McKenzie weager and you get Matthew kachuck you create some form of blockbuster trade I mean not saying that with the Red Wings it would be a blockbuster trade but you make a trade for a player that is younger and you have more control over so that you can keep the window open longer and you can see it paid dividends right Matthew kachuck ended up helping to Le the Florida Panthers to their first Stanley Cup after huberto helped them get a president’s trophy so Bill zitto saw a future problem forming especially with you know hubero needing a new contract sooner and he addressed it before it was a problem and there’s a situation here with Aaron eblad where okay for instance the Florida Panthers are currently at 24 men on their roster you can only have 23 they’re also at negative 933 th000 cap space so that was really the main reason why I decided to have this conversation finally because it’s kind of been kicking around seeing a few comments from our listeners asking us to talk about the ack blad thing but it was just really mostly smoke right it was something that David pagata had mentioned but we hadn’t heard anything since so I didn’t want to give too much Credence to it and there’s still not a lot of credence to it but just given the fact that they’re over the cap space we’re like okay we can at least have the conversation even if again guys there’s not any substance here no insiders reporting outside of pegat two weeks ago that this is a real thing but it is an issue that that I think that the Florida Panthers are going to run into they’re over the cap they’re over the roster uh limit but I think that’s also a really easily fixable issue for the Florida Panthers one where you don’t have to dump a guy who’s making. million yeah less than a mill nothing yeah they can you can get back to positive pretty easily you can trade trade somebody who makes a million dollars away you know or or if somebody goes on the ltir wave somebody at training camp you know there’s a a million different ways where they can get back under the cap and this isn’t a situation that they have to deal with this year and with the departure of David Montour who left to Seattle for I think a seven-year deal ridiculously great contract you know having Aaron eblad a f former cder winner and a former number one overall pick number one on your roster emphasizes that need if you want to run it back but then you run the risk because I can’t see as I’m looking at their their roster on pipedia because rest in peace cat friendly um I’m looking right now on pipedia and you know they have Sam Bennett they have to pay next offseason they have Carter Veri that they have to pay next off season as well so like you’re going to have a lot of expensive contracts coming up real fast here and if you you have to make a decision who you’re going to keep and who you’re not going to keep so that’s going to decide I think a a big part of where they go from here and it might be better for them if they make that decision now and make that trade to get usable Assets in return that are cheaper to extend the window rather than running it back for another year and letting these assets walk at free agency so that’s where it’s like it’s not heavily plausible because of the fact that they can easily get under the cap and run it back but because of Bill Zito’s history and the contracts that are coming up soon it is something that isn’t also impossible yeah exactly and and I I again I I still think there’s a very real possibility they just go you know what we we have one of the best rosters in the sport we’re just going to run it back and and deal with that next summer uh I think that’s probably the most likely scenario like I said but um I mean when it comes down to I don’t know I’m pretty fascinated in the value right like what what would it take to get a player of that caliber albeit on the last year of a contract like that I mean you’re you’re getting a entially a rental a year rental if you were to trade for him right now uh and I think that’s another reason why I would lean towards it not happening is because I I actually don’t think the return would be like oh this is the the like King’s Ransom this is the the like God return type of thing it wouldn’t be cheap I’m not trying to say you can get them for nothing but I I I don’t think the the the ends would justify the means with that I I just don’t think from the Panthers perspective that what they’re probably going to get for a year of him is going to be worth like you know giving it’s not the same situation like oh you’re going to get like kachuck like it’s you know what I mean I I think you’re you’re probably not going to get some like Star young controllable player for uh for albeit what what is a rental yeah absolutely uh I want to have that conversation regarding to what it would cost to get him and then as well like we said he has one year left on his deal you know that conversation too cuz that that would require surgery for the Red Wings and I think that’s a a pretty major con but I want to talk about the pros first because Aon eblad we’re if we’re working on the assumption that the Red Wings would trade for Aon blad and the Florida Panthers would be open to it right because this is hypothetical we’re talking about a world where this happens how would he benefit the Detroit Red Wings well we’ll tell you that in segment two you like that segment not segment two good Lord now I’m getting ahead of myself passion drive and patience the formula for winning championships is also what keeps your ride or die alive eBay Motors has everything you need to maintain your vehicle and level it up to Peak Performance superchargers roof racks exhaust kits LED headlights and more whether you’re into speed power or style eBay Motors has you covered with over 122 million parts for your number one ride or die you’ll always find exactly what you’re looking for and with eBay guaranteed fit your part is guaranteed to fit your ride every time or your money back because with eBay Motors you’re burning rubber not cash with all the parts you need at the prices you want it’s easy to make your car the MVP and bring home huge wins keep your ride or die alive at ebaymotors.com eligible items only exclusions apply eBay guaranteed fit only available to us customers segment two lock down Rings podcast for real this time it’s actually segment two uh not like how it’s been a trend recently where I’ve be like segment two it’s like oh I still have to like read the thing Scotty Aon bled would be I mean without a doubt a huge upgrade on this I he would be if they got Aaron eblad I would be pretty confident in saying that this team would be a legitimate threat to make the playoffs next year far more so than they are this year I mean this is a guy who he does a little bit of everything with the Florida Panthers and he’s just where do I even begin okay so five on five right he has the third third most or fourth most five on five ice time a game for def uh all defensemen among the Florida Panthers he has the third most power play time per game amongst all defensemen on the Florida Panthers and he has the second most penalty kill time amongst all defensemen on the Florida Panthers he’s a positive relative in every feasible stat dangerous Fenwick four Fenwick four Cory 4 expected goals four percentage like this is a and he he’s big and he’s mean he draws a lot of penalties he takes penalty sure but that’s part of his game he’s big 6’4 he’s uh he’s very physical and you just you imagine a pair where he and Simon Edinson are together and you think oh my goodness our top four is legitimately scary at that point like your weakest link on your top four at that Point’s what Ben shat I mean it’s just you you if you have cider Edinson and eblad I really find it hard to believe that that’s not a defensive core that couldn’t make the playoffs next year oh yeah I mean the the pros and the why would the wings do it are pretty obvious they kind of slap you in the face it’s not doesn’t take a rocket scientist to to kind of figure out why he would be such a huge addition you know for a blue line that we talk so much about and have talked at nauseum about already this off season and obviously during the regular season as well you know this would be such a clear and Bonafide upgrade to your right side and I I mean man that that would the depth that you would create right we talk about that all the time too is like additions aren’t just valuable because of the talent they’re bringing to where they’re at they’re also valuable because they push everyone down as well and that’s pretty much exactly what you would be doing here right you would uh that second pair just kind of black hole on the right side would get filled and and you could use you know whatever you you want to say Petri or whatnot on the third pair you’ve talked about that a lot and and how um that’s a lot more justifiable than him on the second pair and and it would again like your there’s an argument your biggest team need right now on July 11th is right side second pair D and so like the fact that we’re right that we’re talking about bringing in a player of this caliber who who like you said was a number one overall pick was a cder winner is now a Stanley Cup champion and is still only what 28 years old um you know having a conversation of bringing him in to fill maybe your biggest team need right now is is absolutely a slam dunk on paper um that that this is not why you don’t do it right like right bringing him in and what he would provide on the ice is certainly not going to be a reason why he’s not going to be a red wing yeah I I just it’s not even like you when you see players of that caliber and you think to yourself okay where where is the downside in his game I don’t really know where there is an obvious downside like he just does a little bit of everything and even his point totals last year like he okay he only had 18 points in 51 games you get okay he’s not much of a goal scorer he’s not the first he’s might he’s not even really the second option on power play but he did average about a minute 18 I think it was let me double check on that I mean even that play but that’s that waser too you at the rest of his career it’s 14 15 11 13 six like as far as goals scored go right like and he missed you know 20 games this season as well which certainly didn’t help but yeah it was at the start of the season I think their last in like a final run uh wore him down I think he had surgery in the off last off season came back partway through and that’s what I was building up to too Scotty like 18 points he did still average a minute and 26 per game on the power play so like it’s not like he didn’t get plenty of power play time uh on the team it’s just uh Brandon Montour really led the way in that regard but you know he like you said that last season was an outlier for him he had a career high of 57 points the year they won the c or not the CER the president’s Trophy and that was in 61 games so he was nearly a point per game from the back end while that was a little bit of an outlier in the other end but he’s pretty consistently been a 30 to 40 Point guy throughout most of his career even dating back to his rookie season when he had 39 points in 81 games so like this is a guy who can provide you offense defense and gets difficult deployments I don’t want that to get lost either because that’s something we always harp on right like it’s good to be relative positive to your teammates but it also depends on where you’re put on your team and he is the only defenseman on the Florida Panthers Scotty who got over 50% defensive Zone deployments compared to offensive zone deployments he got the second toughest competition on the team next to Gustaf forsling but even forsling got just a hair over 50% offensive zone deployment I know I’m splitting hairs there but I just want to emphasiz that not only can he do it all he did it all while facing the toughest competitions and getting like being the only one on the team to get more defensive Zone deployments than offensive zone deployments with that I do also want to note that obviously Aon eblad was playing with some of the most premier Talent on the FL with the Florida Panthers as well like you know Alexander barov Sam Reinhardt types that could absolutely possess the hell out of the puck and make playing defense a lot easier but those Rel numbers still speak to the idea that he was more he was helping to create that environment and not just benefiting off of that environment not saying he’ll come to Detroit and be just as good as he was with the Stanley Cup winning Panthers or but he is going to have a huge massive positive impact year one with the Detroit Red Wings the question then just becomes how would you get him how would you keep him and what would the cap structure look like if you did correct yeah because not only are we talking about a guy you know a lot of these trade hypotheticals it’s oh like what would the the price be to obtain him and that is a question but then you also have tagged on to that you know the the presumption would be you don’t make that trade if you’re not willing to extend him so it’s a it’s a double-edged sword there you’re not only giving up assets to acquire him you’re then giving up cap to extend him immediately after as well and that is the million probably a lot more than million dollar question yeah I I think that is the that’s going to be really tough and honestly I I don’t even want to start dissecting that until we get to segment three because that’s going to be the bulk of the this conversation in reality is is it possible to get him what would it take to get him what would it take to keep him so let’s just go to a quick early break and then we’ll talk about that in segment three got to talk to you guys today about game time game time is an authorized ticket Marketplace of Major League Baseball which makes getting tickets faster and easier prices on the game time app actually go down the closer it gets to first pitch with killer last minute deals Allin prices views from your seat and their lowest price guarantee game time takes the guesswork out of buying MLB 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three lockdown Red Wings podcast Scotty I don’t want to call them cons because Aon eblad as a player doesn’t really have a lot of cons it’s mostly just situations of rounding surrounding his cap and the trade but what are the cons to acquiring Aon blad not as Aron blad the player yeah yeah like we said before the break I I think the just what it would take all things considered to get him the money you’d have to set aside to extend him along with the assets you would have to give up to obtain him I I I think the there one of the reasons why there may not be a fit there is because the panther if they were going to trade him would probably want someone who is Young and NHL ready who can go in and be a producer right away I have a hard time believing that the Panthers are going to be too big on uh especially from the wings perspective where like any picks or anything they would give up in that regard would not be you know like like we’re not going to be picking in the top five next year right like it’s not going to be like a premier pick either um the only thing that the wings have a cabinet full of that they could trade would be young prospects who aren’t necessarily like knocking on the door of the NHL now they have plenty of guys who are knocking on the door of the NHL as well we talk about those guys often but I don’t think the wings are looking to give up guys who are knocking on the door of the NHL so it’s this weird it’s a weird fit in terms of uh in terms of lining up a trade like I the wings are obviously in a position where they want to retain and and continue developing their young talent that is borderline NHL ready and the Panthers are in win now mode and I don’t think they’re going to be asking for draft picks or for uh and there might be a pick or two involved but like I I don’t think they’re going to be asking for assets that are years away from being NHL ready I think if they do trade him it’s going to be like you said something similar to the trade they made a couple of years ago where you know what they’re still getting young good just more controllable Talent uh at the NHL level yeah I mean I think you you kind of hit the nail on the head there they’re not going to want somebody that’s going to take two three four more years to develop I do think a first round pick would be involved they don’t have I agree this this this next draft upcoming in 2025 they don’t have a pick in the first three rounds so I think a first round draft pick would be and which I’d be willing to give up you know for a guy of Aon blad’s caliber it’s just the rest of the trade that would be difficult because the Red Wings are also in a situation where they don’t have $7.5 million to just have a player of Aaron E blad’s caliber on their roster they’d have to move money out and I think that’s the biggest hurdle for the Detroit Red Wings right now is the the surgery that would be required to acquire a guy like him you’d either have to convince them to take I don’t know would they be open to taking a Michael rasm at 3.2 million like you this isn’t a situation like EA Sports NHL where you can just add guys in until the value is there because I know you and I aren’t willing to part with a guy like Dylan Lin or I don’t see a reality where they’d want an Andrew cop 5.6 million underperforming his contract like it’d be really hard and Steve has already said money’s really hard to move right now there’s a lot of guys on this team where it’s just like okay I’d move them to bring in Aaron eblad but would the Panthers want these players in return for Aaron eblad and I don’t see that as a reality like maybe Marco Casper and Nate Danielson are guys that they see as somebody they would want because they’re close to being ready and they’re under team control and they could help extend that window but those are also guys that the Red Wings want to open their window right like you pry open your window a little bit sooner by getting a guy at 28 years old in Aaron eblad but then you burn assets for your own longevity by doing so and like listen I I’ve said before part of the reason why you build up such a big cabinet is so that you can use some of those pieces in trades to make your team more well-rounded right because you take the best player available in the draft and sometimes you end up with an AB abundance at a certain position this is a reality but it’s just you have to be will if you want to guy Aon blad’s quality you have to be willing to part with somebody who’s of quality in return because I just don’t see them they’re not going to want Justin hle who makes 3.4 million back and you got to move a couple guys to make this work because well the redings have almost $20 million in cap space the bulk majority of that if not all of it is going to go to the remaining rfas so it it’s a weird situation where you have an extension right and then you have an extension to worry about the next offseason not only if you have carv out that money for this year you got to car that money for the next however long four to six seven years even more money because he’s gonna get a pay raise he this is going to be his La is going to be his big contract of his career he’s going to be 29 when this contract expires he’s he’s a proven winner who can do it all like how he’s there’s no way he’s not going to get an upgrade over the 7.5 million he’s doing already and that’s why the surgery is the hardest part and I think is the biggest reason why this trade wouldn’t happen and will not happen more than likely even though it’s a fun conversation and I like to dream about eblad and cider as pairs one and two cider and eblad rather pairs one and two want to make sure I get that straight so people don’t bite my head off uh on the Detroit Red Wings and how much easier everyone’s not just ciders right we talk so much about how much easier ciders life would be if we got a competent second pair right side D but Aon nebl makes everybody’s life easier on the whole team team by having him there but the the surgery doesn’t make sense unless you can get a third team involved if you can get a third team involved who’s a team that’s looking to eat salary who’s a team that’s looking to add players like I know the Anaheim Ducks are above the cap floor now but they’re still far away from the ceiling and there they’s still a team that could use a couple of reliable veterans or the San Jose Sharks right like there’s several teams that are that way right now I I just don’t see how a trade between these two teams for Aaron eblad is possible without the Detroit redings giving up something massive in return to free up the cap space to not just get him but then extend him because that’s another thing right and you you you touched on it you’re not trading for Aaron eblad for one season like if you’re trading for Aaron eblad the idea would be to then extend him as well because if you trade a bunch of assets to acquire Aaron eblad and then you he walks in free agency you’ve set your rebuild back you may have made the playoffs that one year but you’ve set your rebuild back he’s a player that if you’re trading for you need to keep yeah 100% And I I agree with you I think that that is that is probably the the biggest hurdle and and just the lining up of the again like the asset management of of in the the uh motivations I guess I’ll say of both teams and what both teams are trying to accomplish I I just I’m not really sure not really sure it lines up and we can end how we started right at the end of the day there’s a pretty darn good chance that the panther just go you know what we’re going to keep one of our best players and uh and we’ll deal with this issue a year from now right I I really think that that’s going to be what the situation is is and and again while Bill Bill Zito has a track record now of doing these big Blockbuster trades for guys that were core members of his team to try and upgrade his team for the long term and it had it obviously panned out they just they went to back-to-back finals and won the Stanley Cup so like it it does work out for the Detroit or for the Florida pan in the past but that doesn’t mean that they’re going to do it again when especially again with Brandon mon orone they need Aaron eblad more than ever so I the answer is yes I would kill for Aaron eblad uh but I just don’t see it making sense for I don’t see it making sense or being real all that realistic for either parties at this stage of the game uh just I want him but I don’t know if the cost to require him is going to be worth it especially if he doesn’t extend right agreed all right Scotty do you have any final thoughts um I don’t think so man we ball we do ball uh we’ll be back tomorrow we’re going to give you a version one of our roster our opening night projections predictions obviously there’s still a lot of offseason offseason left to be played so who knows uh who makes the team and who gets traded for this off season still but as it sits right now there’s it’s a 23 man roster so we’re going to do our best to kind of give you an idea of who on this current roster will be and where they will be on night one of the Detroit Red Wings 2526 season so or 24 25 season rather getting a year ahead so yeah ready for that tomorrow same time same place your team enthusiastic every day every day

The Detroit Red Wings are in a big need for a top 4 right side defensman still. Prior to free agency rumors circulated that 28 year old Aaron Ekblad may be on the trade block as he is a pending free agent next offseason due for a big raise on a cap strapped team. Does it make sense for the Red Wings to make a run for him? #LGRW

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