Veteran goaltender says he would be “OK with being traded.”

One veteran goaltender made some rather unexpected comments on Monday, but when you take a moment to analyze the situation's he's currently facing it's not that hard to imagine him wanting a way out.

Red Wings veteran Jimmy Howard has reportedly informed Helen St. James of the Detroit Free Press that he would be OK with the possibility of the Red Wings moving him during the offseason, and frankly it's a move that could make a lot of sense for both the Wings and for Howard himself. 

There's no doubt in anyone's mind at this point that Petr Mrazek is the future, not only has he played better over the course of the last two seasons, but he also comes with a much cheaper price tag, leaving Howard as the odd man out. Howard currently counts for $5.3 million dollars against the Red Wings cap, and that cap space could be used to help the Red Wings acquire a quality position player during the offseason if they were to find a way to move him.

The problem here obviously is that no one will want Jimmy Howard at $5.3 million for the next three years, but under the current collectively bargained agreement the Red Wings could choose to retain some of Howard's salary and trade him to a team in desperate need of goaltending. Would Jimmy Howard at $3.5 or even $3 million gain some traction among clubs like Calgary who's goaltending situation is nothing short of catastrophic? 

It's unclear at this time if there would be interest, but if there is it sounds like the Red Wings and Jimmy Howard may be headed for a break up.

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