When Ken Holland went looking for someone to replace the soon to depart Brad Stuart at the 2012 trade deadline he wanted someone with prior experience in the Detroit Red Wings system, namely Kyle Quincey.
Unfortunately for the Red Wings, the former fourth round Detroit draft pick has turned out to be a bit of a disappointment.
Here’s a quick recap of how he landed back in Detroit…
The Red Wings reacquired Quincey last season at the 2012 trade deadline in a three-team trade. After Holland was unable to trade for Quincey – who at the time was with the Colorado Avalanche – directly, he called up his old pal Steve Yzerman, who had previously worked in Detroit’s front office.
As GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Yzerman traded gritty forward Steve Downie to Colorado for Kyle Quincey. Moments later he sent Quincey to Detroit in exchange for a first round pick and defensive prospect Sebastien Piche.
It at first seemed like the Red Wings and Yzerman were teaming up to help each other and put the screws to their old rivals the Colorado Avalanche. However, one year later Colorado and Tampa Bay seem to be the last ones laughing.
Since being reacquired by the Red Wings Quincey has just 6 points in 40 games. The team is also 17-33 when he plays and 10-5 when he sits. That’s not the type of player Ken Holland, the GM that NHL.com called the best in the league, thought he was getting when he gave up a first rounder for him.
That first round pick was used by the Lightning to draft Russian goaltender Andrey Vasilevskiy at 19 overall in the draft. Vasilevskiy currently has a prospect score equal to the Red Wings own Petr Mrazek and Gustav Nyquist on Hockeysfuture.com.
In hindsight, the Red Wings may have been better off with another top goalie prospect in the system than with Kyle Quincey, who may soon be replaced by one of Kindl, DeKeyser, Smith, or Lashoff.
To make matters worse, consider the fact that the Red Wings got nothing for Quincey when he left after his first stint in Detroit. Quincey was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Kings after he couldn’t crack the Red Wings 2008-09 lineup.
So essentially the Red Wings used a 4th round pick to draft Quincey, and then used a first round pick and a prospect to get him back years later. Does Quincey look like he’s worth a first and a fourth round pick to you? Me either.
Detroit Red Wings writer for The Hockey Writers and Michigan State hockey writer for spartanavenue.com
