Detroit Red Wings’ Tyler Bertuzzi, Jakub Vrana are players to watch ahead of the NHL trade deadline

Daily Faceoff’s insider Frank Seravalli joined Matt Larkin and Steven Ellis on Friday’s edition of Daily Faceoff Live to discuss what the future might look like for Tyler Bertuzzi and Jakub Vrana in this week’s Ice Breakers segment:

Steven Ellis: Bertuzzi and Vrana are new names available in Detroit, what’s the market like for them? And is Steve Yzerman committed to selling off these pieces?

Frank Seravalli: I think he’s intrigued. That’s the best way to put it about selling off those pieces. And I would also include Olli Maatta on that list as well. He’s going to be sneaking in very late on our trade targets board that’s going to be coming up later today on DailyFaceoff.com.

I think everything’s on the table for the Detroit Red Wings. And I think it starts with solving the Dylan Larkin question first and getting your cap situation ironed out before they can really even entertain what someone like Bertuzzi might look like if he were to be extended.

Vrana’s in a different case, of course, because he was in the NHL’s substance abuse program earlier this season. He has come back and is now playing in Grand Rapids. A lot of people were curious to see what would happen to someone that is such a talented goal-scorer at the NHL level, fourth in the league in goals per 60 minutes over the last three seasons ahead of someone like Alex Ovechkin. That, of course, is even strength only, but he’s a supremely talented goal-scorer at the NHL level that has one more year on his deal at $5.25 million.

He’s someone that I think teams believe is destined toward a buyout this summer for the Red Wings. And if that is the case, would the Red Wings be willing to retain the amount that would then be handed out on the buyout as far as their cap to then move off of Vrana and get a piece in return? I think some teams are investigating that option. I think they want to find out more information about what Vrana has been up to, both on and off the ice before making that judgment.

But Vrana, and Bertuzzi, he’s someone that obviously coming off of his injury, he had a great year last year and is in a spot to really be an impact player with all the different ways that he touches the game. That’s two really intriguing pieces that the Red Wings can move if they decide that they want to be active on that front.

But like I said, I think everyone’s curious over these next 21 days. If Steve Yzerman decides to play hardball with Dylan Larkin, will he end up on the market as well? There’s no evidence of that yet, but certainly, something to keep an eye on.

You can watch the full episode here: