The Detroit Red Wings are not happy with the way things worked out for them in the 2012 NHL Playoffs. An early exit has many questioning whether the team has peaked, and whether or not they'd be able to make a successful rebound in a season. Most are of the opinion that the team needs to get aggressive to keep things alive, and it appears they might just be doing that.
According to Ansar Khan of MLive.com, the Red Wings could be interested in trading for some negotiating rights this offseason. If a team feels that one of their free agents is unlikely to re-sign, they can trade the exclusive negotiating rights to another team, generally for a draft pick.
Detroit has just signed some of their draft picks and they're excited about some of the young talent currently in the system. Right now, they don't need draftees, they need some bigger name free agents here and now. The report states that the Red Wings are very interested in Nashville defenseman Ryan Suter and New Jersey forward Zach Parise.
As it happens, those are the top two free agents this year. While both of them have a solid chance of returning to their teams, it is intriguing to think of either player with the Red Wings. If Detroit traded for their negotiating rights, it would certainly increase their chances of signing either player to a deal.
For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.