The Detroit Red Wings, Carolina Hurricanes and Winnipeg Jets all have a problem.
Those problems, by name, are Simon Edvinsson, Alexander Nikishin and Connor Hellebuyck.
In an incredibly simple three-team trade proposal by Bleacher Report’s Adam Gretz, those would all get solved in one fell swoop.
3-Team Trade Idea
The trade proposed by Gretz in his new article on Monday would look like this:
- Red Wings get: D Alexander Nikishin
- Hurricanes get: G Connor Hellebuyck
- Jets get: D Simon Edvinsson
The problems aren’t necessarily created equally, but this trade would be about a solution, and a solution, and a solution.
“I am just going to call this the Tylenol trade because it is an attempt to solve everybody’s headaches,” Gretz writes.
The Red Wings would still have Dylan Larkin hanging over their head, but at least they’d have Edvinsson resolved.
In the process, the Red Wings would get a strong defenseman in his own right in Nikishin.
The Hurricanes, defending Stanley Cup champs, certainly wouldn’t complain in ending up with the gold medalist Hellebuyck in net.
Why This Would Work
There are cases to be made both for this trade working and against it working.
On the for side, it’s mostly about solving all those issues all at once.
“Hellebuyck wants out of Winnipeg,” Gretz writes. “Carolina cannot get Nikishin signed and wants to use him as a trade piece for Hellebuyck, but Winnipeg does not want him. Detroit cannot get Edvinsson signed, and now he reportedly prefers a trade away from the Red Wings.”
It throws all the problems into one bowl, mixes them up, and spits them out.
It certainly is a great way for everyone in these franchises to breathe a little easier, although who knows if that actually solves all the drama with these players to begin with.
Why This Wouldn’t Work
The problem here is that it isn’t a given that each of the three players would be happy with the solution.
Hellebuyck likely would enjoy playing in the U.S. for a powerhouse team.
Nikishin may not mind Detroit, although it’s certainly not as talented a roster as Carolina.
Would Edvinsson be up for going to Winnipeg and signing an extension there? There’d be doubts, for sure.
“Is it perfect? No. Probably not,” Gretz writes. “But somebody has to get something done here.”
Even if this wouldn’t be the final trade package, it does capture a lot of the right ideas. The best way for these teams to solve their own problems is to identify problems elsewhere.
If they do that properly, then they can see where their problem becomes someone else’s solution, and vice versa.
Would a three-team trade with three total players be too good to be true? Probably. It might be the right place to start thinking, though.
Red Wings Solve Edvinsson, Nikishin, Hellebuyck All in 3-Team Trade Idea