Trade: Red Wings send two-time Stanley Cup Champion to the Canadiens in large proposal
Photo credit: Hockey Feed
The Detroit Red Wings could optimize their cap space to bring up prospects, in order to so they should consider trading Vladimir Tarasenko and getting his $9.5 million hit off of the books.
If there's ever been a time for the Red Wings to begin their youth movement, it could be now. First, GM Steve Yzerman should consider shipping Vladimir Tarasenko out of Detroit.
Yzerman and the Red Wings gave him a 2-year, $4.75 million AAV deal in 2024-2025, and since his prime has passed, he's hardly been the kind of game-changing forward we've seen in the past.
Now, with the Montreal Canadiens looking for goal-scoring depth for their playoff run in the East, the Red Wings could move his $4.75 million hit for this season off the books.
The deal could see the Red Wings gain a third-round draft pick from the Montreal Canadiens by way of New Jersey.
While the Canadiens add another depth winger for their playoff run.
At this point in the season, the Canadiens aren't suffering from major injuries aside from Kirby Dach and David Reinbacher, but their forward depth isn't the greatest.
Tarasenko could slot in on RW2 or RW3, and give St. Louis some flexibility to move Patrik Laine and Brendan Gallagher up and down the lineup as he sees fit.
This gives the Red Wings $4.75 million in cap space to work with in July.
Yzerman shouldn't be shielded from criticism, as he's held his hand during the trade deadline.
This could be considered a good course-correction and long-term thinking we haven't seen out of him lately.
«I've heard there's been some noise around him,» Friedman said on Saturday Headlines on February 22. «Red Wings have gotten much better, they're in the race. A lot of the players have started to play better, but it's kind of struggled to be a fit. I've just heard that in his particular case, there's been some conversation around him.
Tarasenko has played 70 games for the Red Wings and scored 30 points (10 goals, 20 assists) and has found himself playing in the bottom-six.
While the intentions were good to sign the two-time Stanley Cup winner for a short-term (two-year) contract, it appears recency bias has reared its head again.
He may have won a Stanley Cup twice, but he's failed to perform like someone who has won the ultimate prize twice.
It seems the Wings don't have a fit in him.
| POLL | ||
MARS 29 | 160 ANSWERS Trade: Red Wings send two-time Stanley Cup Champion to the Canadiens in large proposal Should GM Steve Yzerman of the Detroit Red Wings trade forward Vladimir Tarasenko for a third-round pick? | ||
| Yes | 136 | 85 % |
| No | 24 | 15 % |
| List of polls | ||
