Jakub Kindl was recently traded to the Florida Panthers for a 2017 6th round pick. The Detroit Red Wings will retain 15 percent of Kindl’s salary this season and the next. However, the Panthers had a lot more up their sleeves. They also traded for Jiri Hudler from the Calgary Flames for a 2016 2nd round pick and 2018 4th round pick. The Panthers also acquired Teddy Purcell from the Edmonton Oilers for a 2016 3rd round pick. This trade benefits all parties involved. Kindl gets a change of scenery, Detroit picks up cap space, and Florida picks up depth.
Jakub Kindl is a former first round pick, but has never matured in to the number one D-man that the Wings saw in him when he was drafted. Jakub Kindl was, “in the doghouse” under former coach Mike Babcock, and he just couldn’t stick with the emergence of Alexey Marchenko. Kindl has cleared waivers twice this season, the second sparking the talks with the Florida Panthers. With the abundance of defensive depth in the organization, Kindl has been seen as the odd man out by fans and now management too.
Committed To The Transition
Ken Holland has repeatedly said he won’t trade picks or top prospects before the trade deadline. The Wings, who are in the midst of a retooling phase, are among the best in the league at growing prospects. Teams like the Chicago Blackhawks and Florida are going all in for a cup run because they have the talent to go far in the playoffs - being in a win-now mode. The Wings just aren’t there yet, and aging superstars Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg are on the downside of their careers. Rookie star Dylan Larkin has much improved the retooling efforts on a scale no one saw coming.
The Red Wings have an impressive crop of prospects in development. Anthony Mantha is having a good season, rebounding from a disappointing last season. Andreas Athanasiou is already in Detroit showcasing his speed. Axel Holmstrom, Dominic Turgeon and Evgeny Svechnikov are among other premier forward prospects in the Detroit system. Joe Hicketts and Vili Saarijarvi are among the defensive prospects expected to join the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL next season. There are quite a few more too, not mentioned, including 7th rounder Adam Marsh who plays in the QMJHL for the Saint John Sea Dogs.
It is expected that Evgeny Svechnikov, Dominic Turgeon, Joe Hicketts and Vili Saarijarvi will all be in Grand Rapids next season. That will be a nice boost in talent over the likes of veteran Dan Cleary, who is a valuable mentor, Triston Grant, who has been injured most of the season, Joel Rechlicz, who is an enforcer, and Joakim Andersson, who is an unrestricted free agent after this season. The transition to a new era is in full swing for the Red Wings and is set to take another step in the next season as the younger talent grows and new talent arrives in Grand Rapids.