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Red Wings Emerge as Top Suitors for Fowler: Could Veteran Defenseman Join Detroit?
The Detroit Red Wings were recently named a possible trade destination for veteran defenseman Cam Fowler.
Cam Fowler’s tenure with the Anaheim Ducks appears to be coming to a close. The veteran defenseman is known for his mobility, puck movement skills, and offensive instincts and has spent his entire 14-year career with the Ducks.
This past Friday, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Anaheim Ducks and Fowler are “working on what his future could look like.” As training camp begins across the league, it sounds like Fowler is not expected to report to Ducks camp with his future in limbo.
Fowler, 32, a Windsor, Ontario native, has two years left on his current contract, which has an annual average value of $6.5 million and a four-team no-trade clause. This clause allows Fowler to submit a list to the Ducks of four teams he’d accept a trade to. There are murmurs that Fowler would consider expanding that list.
“I believe Cam Fowler and the Anaheim Ducks are working on what his future could look like,” Friedman said. “I don’t think this is a negative. I believe the player and the team are working together on this. What I’ve heard is that Fowler has indicated a willingness to talk to more teams than that and consider more teams than that,” Freidman added. “Fowler has a lot of respect around the league. There will be interest. I don’t think anybody will be surprised if sometime this season Cam Fowler is elsewhere.”
Fowler has been a cornerstone of the Ducks’ blueline for 14 years. Over the last three seasons, he has played in at least 76 games per year, scored at least 39 points, and averaged well over 24 minutes per game.
Fowler was drafted No. 12 overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Level Draft. He’s compiled 453 points over 974 games and has averaged over 23 minutes per night throughout his career. The Ducks are in the early stages of a rebuild and are expected to allocate more ice time to their younger up-and-coming players to aid their growth and development during what is expected to be a subpar 2024-25 season. Ducks GM Pat Verbeek has a lengthy relationship with Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman, which may help during potential trade conversations.
With the Detroit Red Wings having yet to sign restricted free agents Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond, the only way the financial commitment to Fowler works is if the Red Wings move out a couple of bad contracts like Justin Holl and Ville Husso. Also, if Detroit had serious interest in Fowler, one of Detroit’s top-six would likely be on the move, perhaps pending free agent Olli Maatta. To entice the Ducks to do so, the return will need to be enhanced, and that’s where Yzerman needs to decide on whether two years of Fowler is worth (x) prospect and additional draft capital.
Last week, The Hockey News posted a list of possible trade destinations for Fowler. The Detroit Red Wings did not headline the article but were mentioned as one of the ‘honorable mentions.’ Atop the list were the Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers, and Vancouver Canucks. In addition to the Red Wings, the Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, and Nashville Predators were noted.
Fowler, who turns 33 in December, doesn’t precisely fit Detroit’s long-term plans, but he’d be an intriguing option to play out his current deal with Seider on the top pairing. His puck-moving skills would benefit Detroit’s backend, and perhaps he could recoup some of the offense left by trading Jake Walman to the San Jose Sharks. As mentioned a couple of times, he’s a minutes eater and an established leader in the locker room. The ripple effect is that Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde can roll with Simon Edvinsson paired with either Jeff Petry or Ben Chiarot playing his offhand on the second unit. Whoever isn’t paired with Edvinsson goes to the third unit and is paired with the newly acquired Erik Gustafsson. Also, expect Albert Johansson to rotate in and Olli Maatta if he’s not a part of the proposed deal. Call me bullish, but I don’t see a regular roll on the Red Wings for Holl or William Lagesson in 2024-25.
