The NHL trade deadline is quickly approaching which means it’s a hot topic in the hockey world right now. For the Red Wings, it’s even more of an important day as the team is once again going to be sellers. Mike Green is probably the most valuable asset available this year, Ken Holland has put Xavier Ouellet on the block, and rumours have been afloat about Gustav Nyquist and Tomas Tatar. Basically, everyone is available except for Dylan Larkin, Anthony Mantha, and Andreas Athanasiou.

A lot can happen in the next three weeks, so we asked out staff what their ideal trade deadline for the Wings was. Here are some of their answers:

Sell! Sell! Sell!

This team needs to badly sell and just build from nothing – burn everything to the ground and start over. Of course it’s hard with massive contracts and No-Trade Clauses, but something needs to change. Green, Tatar, Nyquist and anyone else that is older than 24, needs to be on their way out. They won’t be here when this team is good again.

Larkin and Mantha might retire before this team is good again.

Regardless of all the negativity I have within me, if selling means getting a 7th-round pick for David Booth, you do that in a heartbeat. Since him and Green are the only upcoming UFAs this summer, it will be harder to sell at the deadline this year. Trading Tatar and Nyquist might have to wait until the Draft and that can be a good thing – more time for GMs to reflect on their own teams and realize they need that scoring winger.

A perfect trade deadline for me would be attaining as many future assets as you can have and trading away any veteran from this team. Hit that reset button as many time as you can Kenny.

Further to the obvious candidates, I’d like a handful of Griffins dealt as well.

Currently, the Griffins top 7 scorers are;

The average age is 26.85 years old.

Aside from Turgeon, who’s been limited to 4th line play in his short stint in the NHL, none of these players will be contributing for the Red Wings. Grand Rapids needs to be a place of development and effectively used for call-ups during injuries.

The Griffins have the oldest average age of players who contribute on primary points. It is inexcusable to send players – like Saarijarvi – to the ECHL because there “isn’t room for them”.

The biggest part of a rebuild is acquiring as many young players and picks as possible. But where would they play for us?

We need to clear the log jam in Grand Rapids to achieve maximum development.

Street, Tangradi, and Lorito are all UFA’s this summer and we’ll probably let them walk. However, Puempel and Russo are RFA’s and would ideally be dealt to gain some flexibility.

I don’t care if we receive a 7th round pick for them, or throw them in deals with NHL players – restructuring the Griffins is just as important as rebuilding the Red Wings.

This trade deadline may be one of the most important in some time for this franchise. As it trends towards a second consecutive year in which it misses the playoffs, the Red Wings and its front office need to embrace the fact that this team is not a contending team. Rebuilding on the fly doesn’t work when you’re stagnant, as the Wings largely have been with regard to getting younger, fresher and more athletic. Being proactive would have been the best way to go about rebuilding. The New York Rangers understand this and are making an effort to proactively avoid a long stretch of mediocrity and/or life at the bottom of the barrel. This is being done in spite of the fact that they are merely a handful of points out of a playoff spot but find themselves at the bottom of their respective division.

The Wings need to take a step back, accept their fate and put everyone on the trading block. I’ve been open about my desire to trade Athanasiou, I believe the long term relationship with the team will be tenuous at best, regardless of any supposed changes with the coaching staff and/or front office (count me among the people with the belief that Ilitch won’t truly clean house). However, this team is so far from competing, it only makes sense to see what they could get for two young, very good players in Larkin and Mantha.

Ultimately, the return would not equal what is needed to trade them (so they will both be Red Wings on new contracts come next season) but neither is elite and neither should be untouchable as a result. A more realistic outcome would be Nyquist and Tatar getting moved, at the least, being involved in legitimate discussions that could facilitate a trade over the summer. These two are not getting younger and by the time the Wings are in a position to compete again, these undersized forwards will have little left to give. In the end, it would be a booming success if one of them, Green and a goalie were to be traded.