Red Wings Send Two Prospects to Dallas in Cole Trade

It was reported on Sunday night that Dallas Stars forward Erik Cole and a 3rd round pick were traded to the Detroit Red Wings for two prospects and a 2nd round pick. The two prospects in the deal were Mattias Janmark and Mattias Backman.

"Prospects going to Dallas in Cole deal: Mattias Backman and Mattas Janmark."

"— Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) March 2, 2015"

Backman is your typical Swedish offensive defenseman that is becoming more popular every year. He is a 5th round pick by Detroit in the 2011 NHL Draft. For an offensive defenseman, Backman stays true to his game. He is not known for using his body in any situation and relies on his hands to get him out of trouble or to make a play.

His stats in the AHL don’t help the case for Backman being a good pick up, which is a fair point. He has a hard time switching to the more offensively minded Swedish league to the more professional American league. Perhaps the change in scenery will spark something in his game. Mattias Janmark, I think is the stronger prospect that was dealt in this trade. He is a very skilled two-way center from Sweden. Janmark is a 3rd round pick from the 2013 NHL Draft and has yet to make the switch to North American ice. He comes as a rare breed being a strong two-way player from Sweden. You usually find more offensively upside prospects from these leagues. Janmark shows qualities in stick checking and distributing the puck.

It will be very interesting to see if Janmark’s skills will translate to the AHL. He could easily find success, but he may need to rely on his teammates. It is known Backman has his struggles in the AHL, but will the team change fix his funk?