NHL Trade Deadline 2012: Detroit Red Wings Recap

The trade deadline is always an exciting time in the NHL. Fans indulge themselves in hopes, rumors and speculations of players they would like added to their team, and players they would like to see traded away.

In Detroit, however, Wingnuts get the added pleasure of seeing Red Wing GM Ken Holland work his magic. Holland is widely considered one of the best GMs in the game and for good reason. Amongst the multitude of reasons why fans and the Red Wings organization appreciate him, from an NHL player perspective he is known around the league for reviving careers, and being an excellent GM to play for.

The Detroit Red Wings were expected to make some big moves before the deadline for the sole reason of their cap space being uncharacteristically high. Sitting two points behind first place in the Western Conference, however, brought about an "if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it" counterargument to the big trade speculation.

Red Wing head coach Mike Babcock puts together a wish list every year and for 2012 a “heavy forward” was at the top of that list. Babcock did not get his wish, but what he did get was defenseman Kyle Quincey and a seventh-round draft pick for the 2013 season.

Kyle Quincey has accumulated five goals and 18 assists, bringing him to 23 points in 54 games this season before joining the Wings. Quincey originally started his career in Detroit, however, ended up losing in an one-on-one battle to Derek Meech for the last defensive spot before the start of the 2008-09 season. 

Quincey was then sent to the Los Angeles Kings where he stayed for a season before ending up with the Colorado Avalanche.

In a peculiar three-way trade before the deadline, Quincey was traded from Colorado to the Tampa Bay Lightening and then immediately traded to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for a first-round pick in the 2012 entry draft and prospect Sebastien Piche.

Mike Commodore’s 6’4", 227 lbs. frame was brought to Detroit in this year’s preseason on a one -year, $1 million contract in an attempt to add some size to the lineup. He had only played in 17 games this season tallying two points, both coming by way of assists.

Commodore did however drop the gloves three times for the Wings which is a number only bested by regular starter Justin Abdelkader.

With the addition of Quincey, not to mention Red Wings rising AHL star Brendan Smith vying for NHL playing time, Commodore's usefulness to the Wings dissipated.  He was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a seventh-round pick in the 2013 entry draft. This was essentially a favor from Holland to Commodore who will have a higher chance of seeing playing time in Tampa Bay.

All in all, Holland did not make any moves fans placed their hopes, rumors and speculations towards, but he did manage to pick up a veteran defenseman at the cost of a prospect and historically irrelevant low draft pick.

Holland also managed to grab another pick in the 2013 draft for the cost of a player who probably would not have seen any ice time for the rest of the year anyway. Perhaps more importantly regarding this trade, Holland proved once again that he is a great GM to play for.