Ranking the Detroit Red Wings Players Most Likely to Be Traded

The Detroit Red Wings have been atop the standings for most of the season and are a virtual lock to make the playoffs. The 2014-15 season has been Detroit's most promising in recent memory, and that could influence general manager Ken Holland to bolster his roster for the playoff run.

There are a number of areas in which the Red Wings would like to improve—primarily on defense—but in order to get an asset they would have to give one up.

Detroit is a team that has an abundance of young players and prospects because of amazing drafting, and this is the area in which Holland is most likely to dip into as opposed to current roster players. With that in mind, here are the most likely Red Wings to be traded before the March 2 deadline.

4. Teemu Pulkkinen

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Teemu Pulkkinen is a skilled 23-year-old left winger who stands 5'11" and weighs 183 pounds. The Red Wings called him up from Grand Rapids, and he was sent back to the minors after six games.

At the AHL level he's been a monster with 50 points in 39 games, but he is still getting his feet wet as an NHL player. He's described by The Hockey News as a supremely skilled scoring winger, and that makes him a top asset for general manager Ken Holland to dangle.

Detroit would prefer to keep him, but to make a run at the Cup it would make more sense to keep the roster intact and trade a prospect with upside instead of a player with actualized talent.

3. Riley Sheahan

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It wouldn't make sense for the Red Wings to trade their budding 23-year-old center, but he is probably the most likely young roster player to be dealt in a deal for a top defender. 

Tomas Tatar is off limits because of his amazing breakout, and Gustav Nyquist is an impending restricted free agent who will earn a nice new contract. 

That leaves the 6'2", 212-pound Sheahan who could be a nice cornerstone piece in a deal at the deadline. The Fourth Period has the Red Wings linked to a number of defenders, including Josh Gorges, Keith Yandle, Cody Franson and Mike Green, and in order to complete the deal a valuable asset would need to be shipped out of Detroit.

Sheahan projects to be a decent top-six two-way center, and the emergence of Dylan Larkin as a prospect may make general manager Ken Holland more comfortable dealing him.

2. Tomas Jurco

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Tomas Jurco is a a 22-year-old right wing who is on his entry-level contract and could be a valuable trade chip in Detroit's pursuit to add a defender.

Jurco's production is down from last season, and he hasn't taken the next step toward becoming a consistent NHL pro. He has a ton of potential and upside and could be one of the prospects Detroit is comfortable moving in the right deal.

While it may be looked at as shortsighted to consider dealing Jurco, that doesn't change the fact that the Wings wouldn't move him in an attempt to make a run for the Stanley Cup while Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg are healthy and contributing. 

1. Brian Lashoff

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Brian Lashoff is a 6'3", 221-pound left-handed defenseman who is currently in the AHL. He wasn't making an impact for the Red Wings, so he was assigned to the Grand Rapids Griffins.

His value isn't the highest in the world, but the 24-year-old could fetch a late draft pick in the upcoming draft at the very least. There is a chance that the Wings would move him if possible because another team may take interest in his youth, size and potential.

Lashoff doesn't appear to be in the Red Wings' future plans, and therefore that increases his odds of being dealt.