Detroit Red Wings analyst proposes $68M trade that would change everything
Photo credit: NHL.COM
Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman has made it clear that he will be in search this off-season for talented acquisitions to upgrade his roster, and now a Red Wings analyst has urged the organization to acquire a star forward from the Nashville Predators.
The Red Wings missed the playoffs once again in what seems to be a repeating loop for the past nine years, and Yzerman has now made it clear that the team wants to compete moving forward. But will Yzerman provide his team enough support for them to compete? With a relatively weak free agent class this summer, the aging general manager will have to seek acquisitions through trades rather than signings.
Sam Stockton of The Hockey News has urged the Red Wings to strike a deal for Nashville Predators Filip Forsberg.
«So, why might Nashville deal him? Well, after this season's disaster, Barry Trotz and co will presumably be considering a lot of options heading into the summer,» Stockton wrote. «At least one of those likely includes getting younger with some version of a re-tool, and Detroit could potentially entice the Preds with some talent that has either just broken onto the NHL stage or might be ready to imminently.
«Forsberg is a star with term left on his deal, so he won't come cheap, and the no-move means the Wings would also have to win him over,» Stockton added «If Detroit can arrive at the right price, he is a creative skilled scorer, whose attacking flair comes in service of a power game driving pucks to dangerous areas. It wouldn't be an easy deal to pull off. But, it could be one that pays serious dividends for the Red Wings.»
«Forsberg is a star with term left on his deal, so he won't come cheap, and the no-move means the Wings would also have to win him over,» Stockton added «If Detroit can arrive at the right price, he is a creative skilled scorer, whose attacking flair comes in service of a power game driving pucks to dangerous areas. It wouldn't be an easy deal to pull off. But, it could be one that pays serious dividends for the Red Wings.»
Forsberg would easily slot into Detroit's top line and take some weight off of the shoulders of fellow forwards such as Alex Debrincat.
Forsberg has five years left on his eight-year, $68 million deal, which is a fair salary at this moment due to the cap rising next season.
How Filip Forsberg would slot into the Red Wings lineup
Despite the breakout seasons from DeBrincat and Patrick Kane, the Red Wings still ranked 22nd in the NHL with an average of 2.86 goals per game.
Last season with the Predators, Forsberg recorded 31 goals and 45 assists for 76 points in 82 games.
«We've kind of felt that all along, we're going to look at any good player. Any player that can help us in any role. If there's a player worthy of spending whatever amount on, that has an interest in playing in Detroit and fits a need for us, absolutely we would try to do that,» Yzerman said on April 29. «We're in a different stage than we were maybe five years ago in that we have a good young nucleus of players. And if we can add to that with a prominent free agent, we'd certainly entertain that.»
Detroit has over $21 million in cap space this off-season, making them a prime team to watch.
| POLL | ||
MAI 10 | 64 ANSWERS Detroit Red Wings analyst proposes $68M trade that would change everything Do you think Steve Yzerman should make one major acquisition as proposed or multiple smaller additions? | ||
| One big addition! | 45 | 70.3 % |
| Multiple small addition! | 19 | 29.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
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