On Going All-In on Dan Boyle

There’ve been a handful of reports today basically stating that the Red Wings are targeting free agent defenseman Dan Boyle and only Boyle, having determined that Matt Niskanen will be asking for too much money (though recent reports say the Wings are on his shortlist) and Christian Ehrhoff is too left-handed (and maybe also asking for too much term).

No (or little) mention of Anton Stralman. Same for Mike Weaver or Tom Gilbert.

It’s all-in on the 38-year-old Boyle, which worries me significantly.

Boyle isn’t my first choice, I’ll admit, but that’s not my concern. That the Wings seem to have only one plan is what bothers me. It reminds me of 2012, when they watched a number of feasible backup plans sign elsewhere while waiting for Ryan Suter, then ended up whiffing on him, too, when he chose Minnesota.

It’s all reports as of right now. And until noon tomorrow we’ll probably hear a lot of things. With the Red Wings on Niskanen’s shortlist, maybe he’s more likely to come to Detroit than anyone thought today. But Boyle being the only target was a serious red flag for me.