It seems as though these Mike Green rumors to Detroit will not die, and while I still don't think Green will be traded (yet), I can't help but wonder how much truth there is to all the speculation.
Washington GM Brian MacLellan has said on more than one occasion that Green is here to stay, but with the Caps salary cap at just a hair over a million bucks, analysts, pundits and armchair GM's have been deadset on Detroit targeting the defenseman.
If the Red Wings were indeed interested in making the trade for Green, a realistic option for the Caps would be Tomas Tatar, who is also an RFA and who is also someone the Red Wings are very high on.
Another option would be Tomas Jurco who has one year left on his entry level deal, and who Detroit is also high on. Either player would fit nicely in with the Capitals offense, but it wouldn't answer the Caps need for an experienced second line center.
Detroit has 7 left handed defenseman and would love to unload one or two of them before the summer is up. Washington on the hand has zero room on the blueline as it is, unless of course they trade John Erksine, Dmitry Orlov, or Jack Hillen.
The Caps are light on offense with only 12 players, and trading Green would make life in DC a lot less stressful for GMBM, but if the Caps can squeeze a few more months out of Green and try to 'right the ship' with his offensive ability they're going to do it.
Green also has a modified NTC which limits the Caps ability to wheel-and-deal with teams that could afford Green. He wants to play and he wants to win and I seriously doubt he'd want to go to a team that cannot compete. (insert Capitals-playoff-hopes joke here)
Detroit can afford Green but the logistics just don't match up at the moment.
Stranger things have happened of course, and Detroit and Washington would both have to get very creative in order for a deal like this to go through.
More to come...
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