NHL Trade Rumors: Jay Bouwmeester to the Detroit Red Wings Should Not Happen

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With the Detroit Red Wings seeking to bolster their blue line, reports of conversations between the Red Wings and Calgary Flames regarding defenseman Jay Bouwmeester have begun to surface.

If any Detroit Red Wings fans are starting to believe the Jay Bouwmeester-to-Detroit trade rumors (via MLive.com), I am here to quell any of those thoughts.

Jay Bouwmeester to the Detroit Red Wings is one of the worst trade proposals I've heard in quite some time.

Here are four reasons why this trade should not happen.

1. Salary Cap Hit Per Production

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Let's not kids ourselves here, Bouwmeester plays on a rebuilding Calgary Flames franchise.

But that fact alone does not excuse Bouwmeester from not putting up points as a top-pairing defenseman in Calgary.

Bouwmeester put up 29 points last season and has never exceeded that point total in his three-year career with the Flames.

His goal totals have also inexplicably dropped to new lows, with just 12 goals in the last three seasons combined after having 15 in the 2008-09 season alone.

Bouwmeester's salary cap hit (per CapGeek.com) is $6.68 million for the next two seasons, meaning he would make more than Nicklas Lidstrom did in 2010-11 when Lidstrom won the Norris Trophy and put up 62 points.

To further drive home the point, Bouwmeester's cap hit of $6.68 million is higher than that of this year's Norris Trophy winner, Erik Karlsson. Karlsson's deal (per CapGeek.com) carries a cap hit of $6.5 million.

2. Defensive Shortcomings

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Despite his stature and size of 6'4" and 212 pounds, Jay Bouwmeester does not like to lay the body on his opponents very often.

Bouwmeester was credited with 69 hits on his player page on NHL.com.

If the Red Wings need anything this season other than offense (which they lost in Lidstrom's retirement), it's physicality and tenacity (which the Red Wings lost in Brad Stuart's departure).

Jay Bouwmeester offers neither physicality nor tenacity.

Although he has blocked 118 shots (per NHL.com), Bouwmeester's minus-21 rating and minus-35 rating in the turnover department means that he would have to improve considerably next season for any team to even want to trade for him, much less take him in free agency.

3. The Trade Itself Is Skewed in Terms of Red Wings' True Needs

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Last week, Detroit News' writer Gregg Krupa wrote that Detroit was "offering Valtteri Filppula, Jonathan Ericsson and a prospect to the Flames for Jay Bouwmeester."

The whole point of bringing another defenseman to Detroit was so that Detroit would have more than six NHL defensemen in case one got injured.

Sending away defenseman Jonathan Ericsson along with star forward Valterri Filppula and a prospect does not make sense.

Filppula was third on Detroit in goals and points last season. Trading him (along with Ericsson and a prospect) away for a defenseman that cannot even break the 30-point plateau is senseless at best.

4. Bouwmeester's Lack of Playoff Experience

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Defensemen rise and shine when the playoffs start.

Fans can usually tell a great defenseman from a mediocre one by how well they play in the playoffs.

The lights are on, and everyone is watching to see what plays will and won't be made.

For anyone saying that Jay Bouwmeester is a great defenseman as opposed to a mediocre one, how about we take a look at how many playoff games Bouwmeester has played in.

Zero.

That's right, the 28-year-old "top-tier" defenseman has zero games played in the postseason to his credit.

How's that for an "experienced" defenseman?

Playoffs are a tradition around Detroit last time I checked. Let's not take the chance on a mediocre, overpaid defenseman.

 

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