frm Ted Kulfan of thee Detroit News,

They’ll definitely see what is out there, and dangle some available players. But general manager Ken Holland is warming to the idea of re-signing some of those potential unrestricted free agents, with an eye toward making a playoff run next season.......

“Much will depend on the market,” Holland told The Detroit News. “How many teams will be buying at that point? How many will be selling? I’ll make phone calls and see what other teams are thinking.

“But as we approach (20)19-20, and we have a summer before then, too (to potentially sign other free agents), and our young players progress and take another step forward, we’d like to be in position to make a run at the playoffs.”

Goaltender Jimmy Howard, defensemen Niklas Kronwall, Nick Jensen and Luke Witkowski, and forwards Gustav Nyquist and Thomas Vanek are potential unrestricted free agents on July 1.

Of that group, Howard, Jensen and Nyquist would appear to be players the Wings are targeting to re-sign.

They would trade any of the three, but the asking price would be a first-round pick for Howard and Nyquist, with Jensen as close to that as possible.

“We have a lot of young forwards in that group of age 19-24, there are young defensemen in the system,” Holland said. “We have to decide whether we’re a better team if we re-sign some of our players, and can they help us compete for the playoffs.”

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