The Detroit Red Wings haven't given up hope of unearthing a right-shooting defenseman from some other NHL destination this season, according to a recent report from TheFourthPeriod.com.
Red Wings general manager Ken Holland has annually been rumored to be attempting to pull off a deal that would improve his team's backend for several seasons now.
While he'd prefer a right-shooting blueliner, what he wants most is a top-pair defender.
As Ansar Khan of MLive.com noted earlier this month, it's hard to envision Holland and the Wings giving up that much in trade, making it seem more likely they'd go for a second-tier defender rather than a true, lineup-altering talent like Buffalo's Tyler Myers.
Jeff Petry, a second-pairing defender with the Edmonton Oilers, is a player that could draw the attention of the Wings.
TSN's Darren Dreger, while appearing on an episode of Edmonton's TSN 1260 Tuesday morning and as transcribed by NicholsOnHockey.com, said it's looking increasingly likely that Petry, scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after this season, will be dealt by Oilers GM, Craig MacTavish.
"Well, clubs know that Jeff Petry is a pending unrestricted free agent. They believe that Craig MacTavish is going to trade him," Dreger said. "So I'm sure the clubs who are most interested in adding a right-shot defenseman are already making those calls."
Dreger pointed to the Wings as a team interested in a right-shooting defender who could be hot on the trail of Petry, but added that he doesn't see Holland make any rash or desperate moves.
"Kenny Holland has been looking for that player seemingly forever. And there aren't that many available. So if you have a need, and Detroit has a need, you continue to call. But it's not like the Red Wings are desperate. I don't know that that club is ever desperate. Holland is waiting to be patient, or wants to be patient, and waiting for the other managers to maybe flinch a little bit and make a deal."
The 27-year-old Petry is a former second-round pick of the Oilers. He has four goals and six assists for Edmonton this season and is averaging 21:15 in ice time.
