Detroit Red Wings Discussing Trades With 3 Teams

Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman has no illusions about the quality of his team. The rebuilding process is slow and painful, but the Red Wings are in the process of acquiring high draft picks to invest in their future. Right now, it appears that he is in talks with several teams about acquiring pieces that may help build up the franchise.

As Devin Little of The Hockey Writers suggests, Steve Yzerman is targeting players who have allegedly requested trades with their respective team. Rumors of a trade request are a GM's worst nightmare as they lose a significant amount of leverage in trade talks. Whether or not they're officially on the block is unclear, but Yzerman said to be targeting Vince Dunn of the St. Louis Blues, Victor Mete of the Montreal Canadiens, and Sam Bennett of the Calgary Flames.

Lets start with Bennett. Flames GM Brad Treliving denied Elliotte Friedman's report that Sam Bennett had requested a trade. This came shortly after Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin was caught in a lie, saying the Mete rumor was untrue, but was later confirmed by Mete himself. Everyone assumed Treliving was lying as well, except Bennett made public that he was blindsided by the report and did not in fact make a trade request. Nonetheless, Yzerman is said to be targeting the forward and finds his physical game to be an asset to the Red Wings. Bennett was a legitimate contender as the first overall pick in 2014, but Aaron Ekblad was ultimately selected instead. He hasn't lived up to his expectations, but he's certainly a valuable asset any team would desire.

The next suspect is Victor Mete. He has in fact confirmed his trade demand after being a healthy scratch for the first eight games of the season. The Canadiens put him in the lineup the next night, but whether he will stay or be shopped is unknown. The young defenceman has shown great potential and a high level of skill. He would definitely be a great addition to the Red Wings roster, but the price for Mete would likely be quite high.

The last trade target is Vince Dunn. The St. Louis Blues have an incredibly deep defensive core, making it difficult for the 24 year old to find a consistent roster spot. As recently as last week, the Blues were said to be shopping Dunn, but other reports indicated they would like to give the former first-rounder another shot at cracking the roster. Again, Yzerman would need to offer adequate players, which are few and far between on the team. Their best players include Bobby Ryan, but the Blues would likely want a player that doesn't have UFA status at the end of the season.