To be a fly on the wall of Steve Yzerman’s office right now, eh? The team took major steps to improve the roster and protect the organization’s culture last offseason, with some mixed results. Cost efficient signings like Perron and Dominik Kubalik have insulated the team through a stretch of top 6 injuries (Bertuzzi, Copp) and drama (Vrana).
What becomes immediately clear watching this team night in and night out, is the desperate need for elite talent. In the Athletic’s Top 100 Player list, Detroit boasted only two Tier 4 / Top Line level players: Dylan Larkin and Moritz Seider.
This focuses the goal at-hand for the Red Wings President. While the franchise has turned a corner, with one of the deepest farm systems in the NHL and several young players pushing for full time NHL jobs, it still lacks established franchise talent.
These things in mind, I predict several moves through the upcoming trade deadline and off-season:
- The Red Wings will be aggressive sellers again, dealing Bertuzzi, Maata, and other depth forwards or facilitating large salary deals for cap crunched teams—ala, the David Savard deal in 2021.
- In the upcoming draft, the red wings will likely have a top 8 pick given deals made at the deadline and a poor goaltending from our backups. This may provide a unique opportunity to select an elite talent, even at the end of the top 10 in Matvei Michkov. If Michkov drops in the draft dues to his KHL deal, I would bet Yzerman is the one to select him. Additionally, with the added picks from a deadline deal I would prioritize adding Calum Ritchie - whose size and skill would add a final missing dimension to the Wings farm system.
- Free agent priorities begin with signing Dylan Larkin to a long term deal. Reports are the team and Larkin’s camp are about a $1M apart, and I believe will settle right around 9M/year. Believe they’ll also focus on resigning Jake Walman to a mid term deal to continue his experiment as Mo Seider’s partner. With uncertainty about Jakub Varna’s future, I predict Yzerman will move to add another veteran top 6 goal scorer. Given the seeming affinity for former St Louis Blues, I see them signing Vlad Tarasenko to a mid term deal at 2x5M. We’d also look to fill gaps at RD and back up goaltender.
Foegele is a cap dump, Schaefer+1st might get Bertuzzi but in no way is it getting both Bertuzzi and Maatta.
Kubalik is on pace for 62 points, 1.5 years of Kubalik is getting a lot more than a 3rd round pick. Kubaliks value is way higher than both Sundqvist and Suter who are pending UFAs.
Foegele is a cap dump, Schaefer+1st might get Bertuzzi but in no way is it getting both Bertuzzi and Maatta.
Kubalik is on pace for 62 points, 1.5 years of Kubalik is getting a lot more than a 3rd round pick. Kubaliks value is way higher than both Sundqvist and Suter who are pending UFAs.
Huh, meanwhile, I'd be heistant to give either asset for him- let alone both. If that's your ask, find a different buyer.
Huh, meanwhile, I'd be heistant to give either asset for him- let alone both. If that's your ask, find a different buyer.
No problem, LW is the very last thing we need. We already have far better LW within our organization than Schaefer. And the 1st which will be in the low to mid 20 range for both Bertuzzi and Maatta could be better.