The Detroit Red Wings have had a terrific season thus far this year, but the opportunity to improve via a major trade is there for the taking for GM Steve Yzerman. He's got a massive amount of cap space, so it's time for Yzerman to step up and make a blockbuster move.
The Detroit Red Wings have had a stellar season thus far, but many observers feel now is not the time to simply stand pat with their roster.
While the Red Wings are currently in second place in the Atlantic Division, nothing is promised in that division. The parity of the league means any team could be in a Stanley Cup playoff spot one season, and be out of the playoff mix altogether the next season.
So, the Wings need to seize the day and add notable talent while they have the salary cap space to do so.
Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman has more than $33.3 million in cap space right now – and that number rises to a mighty $59.4 million at the March 6 trade deadline.
It feels like it would be criminal for Yzerman not to take a big swing on the trade front, as Detroit can absorb any contract in the league without having to send salary back to the team they’re making a trade with.
Some people feel the Wings should be front and center in the sweepstakes for New York Rangers star left winger Artemi Panarin.
Now, it’s true that Detroit could use a second-line center, and that's not what Panarin is. But talent is talent, and the opportunity is there not just to acquire Panarin for a playoff push this season, but to sign him and help make the Red Wings a perennial playoff team, the way they used to be in their most recent golden era.
Indeed, Yzerman doesn’t have a history of making major moves in-season. The biggest names he’s acquired in his time running things in Motown are left winger Alex DeBrincat and goaltender John Gibson, but both those trades took place in the off-season.
However, this season should see that pattern change. Whether it’s landing Panarin or someone else, Yzerman has to reward his team and fan base for surviving a nine-year playoff drought. And that means outbidding other teams for talent and making the Wings deeper and more talented.
Detroit Red Wings (Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images)Maybe that means trading for Nashville Predators center Ryan O’Reilly, or St. Louis Blues pivot Brayden Schenn. It would cost a lot to land a forward with Cup-winning experience, but it absolutely would be worth it.
It would give the Red Wings a stronger team in advance of an anticipated eventual showdown with the Atlantic-leading Tampa Bay Lightning.
With respect to Wings veteran Andrew Copp, he won't match up well with the Bolts if he’s the second-line center. Yzerman has the trade capital needed to make a blockbuster deal happen.
He’s got all three of his first-round draft picks in the next three drafts, and he’s got two second-round picks in that span – so there’s really no excuse for not going fishing for talent and coming up with a needle-moving player.
Some might suggest Yzerman would be risking hurting the chemistry in the Red Wings’ dressing room by making a huge move. But we’d counter that suggestion by saying the room would no doubt be elated to have a difference-maker on their side.
And it’s not as if Yzerman can carry over cap space into subsequent seasons. You either spend it or you don’t, and not spending it would be a huge letdown for a Wings fan base that has grown accustomed to letdowns in the "Yzerplan."
Thus, there’s every reason for Detroit to flex its financial muscles and be the biggest buyer team at this year’s trade deadline.
The Red Wings have exceeded expectations this season, and rewarding them with a brand-name talent would almost certainly improve their fortunes as the rest of the season unfolds.
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