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Detroit Red Wings speedy forward Kris Draper will miss the first two matches of Wings second-round series against the Anaheim Ducks with an undisclosed upper-body injury that also kept him out of the lineup in the first round.
At 37, Draper is winding down a productive career that received a lift when the Winnipeg Jets sold him to Detroit back in 1993 for the bargain-basement price of $1. Draper has gone on to play more than 1,000 games and win four Stanley Cups.
But are his days in Detroit numbered? Winnipeg native Darren Helm has been a more than adequate replacement in the playoffs. The Wings also have youngsters in the minors like Ville Leino, Cory Emmerton and Justin Abdelkader ready for prime time.
Draper is one of the favourites of the Wings ownership, Mike and Marian Ilitch, and he has a no-trade clause in his contract that has two years remaining with a salary cap hit of $1.583-million. So, it's a longshot that he will be moved.
However, we wonder if there is a fit for him with the Toronto Maple Leafs next season. Draper is from Toronto and spends most of the off-season in his hometown. The young Leafs could use his leadership, dressing room presence and diligence in the defensive end of the rink, and the price likely would be a late-round draft pick.
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