The Red Wings appear to be in the market for a defenseman, and a two-time All-Star is reportedly catching their eyes.
The Wings have inquired about Coyotes defenseman Keith Yandle, according to The Detroit News.
This comes on the heels of last week's report from Brendan Savage of MLive.com that said Detroit was in talks with Calgary about making a trade for veteran D-man Jay Bouwmeester.
According to The Detroit News, Phoenix' "perilous ownership situation" is complicating matters when it comes to dealing for Yandle, a Boston native who turns 26 in September.
Yandle is among the NHL's bright, young defensemen, having earned an All-Star selection each of the last two seasons. He tallied a career-high 48 assists and 59 points in 2010-11, and recorded 11-32-43 totals last season while helping to lead the Coyotes to the Western Conference Final. A nifty playmaker whose defense continues to improve, Yandle has also shown plenty of durability, appearing in all 82 regular season games each of the last three seasons.
The cost for a defenseman like Yandle would undoubtedly be high from a talent standpoint. But with limited options in free agency, the Red Wings may be forced to roll the dice in order to improve their depleted blue line.
Yandle signed a five-year contract extension with the Coyotes in July 2011.
Photo via Flickr/xoque
