Red Wings Risk it For the (Potentially Plentiful) Biscuits

Maybe it’s because today marks super-Swede Nick Lidstrom’s 50th birthday.

Maybe it’s because he lit up the Swedish men’s league for 43 points in 52 games, good for sixth-best in the SweHL.

Maybe it’s because the basement-dwelling Red Wings need anything — literally, anything — that can expedite the already-too-long rebuild.

No matter the reason, Detroit GM Steve Yzerman made another low-risk, high-reward move by inking 26-year-old left wing Mathias Brome to a one-year deal, a trial to see if his Swedish success translates to the North American game.

Scouting reports label Brome as a responsible winger who plays with speed and tenacity. At 6-foot, 183 pounds, he’s got a solid frame to work with and could munch minutes on the penalty kill.

This deal makes perfect sense. It’s a two-way deal so the Wings can play him in the minors if this isn’t a home run.

And anytime I see “speed” and “work ethic” in the same scouting report, I get those wonderful butterflies in my chest that make me think this organization might be headed in the right direction.

The gamble was a risk other teams competed for. The Wings nabbed Brome from the grasps of the penultimate Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals and the up-and-coming Vancouver Canucks.

Good for Stevie Y to make a low-risk move like that.

The biggest problem with Kenny Holland was the asinine contracts doled out to guys who every analytic predicted would fall from grace, all in the hopes that the numbers were wrong and they would suddenly become the next Artemi Panarin.

Just like in Tampa Bay, Yzerman is picking up reclamation projects for prospects who just don’t fit a team’s lineup.

We saw it with the absolute fleecing of the St. Louis Blues for Robby Fabbri. The guy will be a key part of any success the Winged Wheel sees in the near future, albeit as more of a second-line scorer but still a dangerous threat on a team starving for goals.

We saw the attempt with Brendan Perlini, although that hasn’t panned out long-term.

All we can ask for is that shots be taken, and this is a Grade A example.

Will every pickup be a star? Obviously not, but a trial contract for a guy who can at the very least kill penalties could lead to a cog that builds up the Big Red Machine.

Kudos to the Captain for making this move. I can’t wait to see Brome in red and white.