To Dallas or Montreal for prospects

To the Capitals for Brooks Orpik's UFA rights. Great deal for both sides.

It’s hard to justify a rebuilding (and really really struggling team) trading a young forward on pace for 30+ goals playing on that bad team.

No they shouldn't and most likely they won't.
Last season (17/18) there was a lot of trade talk involving AA because he didn't get a long with Blashill. The main reason for that was AA didn't want to hustle on defense, so Blashill cut his playing time. In the off season AA worked on the defensive side of his game. So Blashill started playing more and more at center. (the position he wants to play). Both times Larkin was hurt it was AA that took over that spot as the #1 center. Put that with the fact he'll probably hit 30g this season. I don't think Detroit will trade him and if they did it would be very expensive.

AA for a 38yr old defenseman when Detroit already have too many defensemen. Really? The media seems pretty confident he will retire at the end of the season. So Detroit is just going to give AA to Washington?

I didn't realize you might be joking till I hit post. So if that's the case I'd like to apologies for the mean post.

I’m fairly confident that was a joke bro

Don’t trade AA, trade Mantha for a top pairing D-man!

Yeah I realized that after I posted it.

Detroit has a hard time scoring so I don't think Detroit is quite ready to trade him yet. I think it will depend on two things how he finishes the season and how well some of our prospects do. Detroit will be better next season but might not make the playoffs. They need to get Abs, Helm, Neilson, Daley and Ericsson out of the way first. So there really is no hurry to trade him if they do move him it might be a month in to the season or at the 2020 TDL. Unless they get a really good offer before that.

You said top pair defenseman it would depend on the defenseman. Who did you have in mind? I think it would also have Daley or Ericsson back the other way.

Yes definitely a joke haha

Why are you trading AA in the first place

No one is or was trading AA.

Team Explanation
Should Detroit trade AA? Let me know your thoughts in the comments

IF (big IF) DET can get a Dman, with significant (3+ years) term (or significant RFA term at least 2+ years), at the same age or younger, that is close to AAs level or better (so, #1 to top end #3 dman), then DET should consider trading AA. The list of guys that would fit the bill (not that they are available, but fit the profile):

Darnell Nurse (#3 dman on a good team IMO)
Miro Heiskanen
Noah Hanifan (#3 dman)
Mikhail Sergachev (young enough, he's got #1 ceiling, #3 floor)
Shea Theodore (#2 ceiling, #3 floor)
Charlie McAvoy
Rasmus Dahlin
Matt Dumba
Aaron Ekblad
Seth Jones
Zach Werenski
Josh Morrissey (#2 ceiling, #3 floor)
Jakob Chychrun (his floor is #3 for me, at the end, I bet him and Cholo will be around the same level of dman for their careers)
Quinn Hughes
Ivan Provorov (#3 floor)
Travis Sanheim (#3 floor)
Thomas Chabot
Ryan Pulock (#3 floor)
Cale Makar (could be the best dman not playing in the NHL this year)
Damon Severson (#3 floor, but iffy)
Jaccob Slavin / Brett Pesce (very iffy for me. Most will say #3 floor, so I put them on the list, but to me Carolina's D is not special, all of them)

Jacob Trouba is not on the list. He only has 1 year left of RFA term, might as well wait a year and get him for free.

Remember, this is just a list of who matches the criteria, not the available list (as almost all of them aren't available).

Well, In a perfect world, Werenski holds out and somehow Detroit packages Mantha plus a future first for his rights. That being a pipe dream, I think Trouba would be a realistic option. I also think abs can be packaged with a prospect to Seattle for expansion. Neilson, Ericsson, and Helm will just play out and expire; we’ll have the cap space to bury them if needed. Daley may get us a late round pick next year too