Ken Holland, the Detroit Red Wings general manager, a trade deadline veteran, is doing precisely that. He wants to enhance the worth of his trade assets by hinting at his readiness to walk away from a deal where trade partners expect to low-ball him. The first law of negotiation is not to appear too eager, right? We have all walked away from a car deal when we fully expect to come back and purchase precisely that automobile.
Holland would just as soon keep Jimmy Howard? He says that, but Howard has been playing near to the high end of his capabilities, putting him at maximum worth, until recently looking more tired and porous.