Superstars Connor McDavid and Kyle Connor are no longer free agents next July, leaving smaller but still impactful group of targets for Red Wings to pick from.
One of the subtle storylines fans can look forward to is the next off-season and the list of pending free agents.
As they look into names that could be available on the market, eyeing players that could be an impact player on your team is exciting to think about. This was a thought for some Detroit Red Wings fans as their Stanley Cup aspirations are still a year or two away from being truly alive and the idea of adding a Connor McDavid or Kyle Connor into the lineup to fast track their rebuild to the final stage was certainly a thrilling thought.
However, just like many recent off-seasons, the players that everyone in the league was excited to see hit the open market are slowly coming off the board as superstar talents in McDavid, Connor as well as Kirill Kaprizov have all signed new deals. This is a bummer for the Red Wings as they were going into next July with lots of cap space to play with.
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They still need to negotiate a lucrative extension for young defenseman Simon Edvinsson, but even after accounting for that, they’ll have plenty of financial flexibility. With roughly $37 million in projected cap space (coming from $11.2 million currently available, $13.25 million freed up by expiring veteran UFA contracts, a projected $11.5 million league cap increase, and $1.05 million from the final year of the Justin Abdelkader buyout) they’ll have more than enough room to pursue a superstar addition.
It begs the question of who is left worth pursuing with these superstar talents already off the board? Here are some names they could look to add next off-season or even trade for before hand in a playoff push.
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Artemi Panarin, LW
The Breadman left the Columbus Blue Jackets back in 2019 for the highest bidder in the New York Rangers and could likely do the same once again next July. At 33 years old, his decline will be starting sooner than later but knowing some of Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman's past signings in aging players like Vladimir Tarasenko and David Perron, this add feels right at home for him.
Panarin would get the chance to reunite with Blackhawks teammates in Alex DeBrincat and potentially Patrick Kane (if he signs another extension) or they could also have him on the top line with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond to form one of the deadliest top units in the league. A lucrative six-year deal to see how much Panarin has left in the tank feels like a solid bet for something Yzerman would do.
Jason Robertson, LW
What would be the most expensive player on the market would almost certainly be the former 109-point player and 26-year-old Robertson, who could garner a contract on the open market up to $13 million per season. As a left wing, Robertson again would work as a solid option for the top line with Larkin and Raymond while also adding more star talent to the power play. The only caveat would be likely having to compete in a bidding war for Robertson that would see other teams throw a lot of money and Yzerman would need to match. It could land the Red Wings with a tough contract to manage after its all said and done.
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Alex Tuch, RW
The rare bright spot on the Sabres outside of their homegrown talents in Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin. Tuch has been one of the most prolific goal scorers in the league since entering with 94 goals over the past three seasons, more than the likes of Alex DeBrincat, J.T. Miller, Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. He has a pair of 36-goal seasons that could grow into 40+ when entering the right system.
At 29 years old, Tuch would also land some lucrative offers that would likely max out at six years with the annual cap hit reaching as high as $11-12 million for an elite top six goal scorer. A trade before hand to get the seventh year eligibility on a new contract could be worth while for Yzerman as the Red Wings could look to have Tuch in their lineup while competing for a playoff spot with the Sabres likely not contending.
Rasmus Andersson, D
The Red Wings blueline has been the focal point of insecurities heading into the season and future. With an average age of 24.8, Detroit's top six defense group could use a veteran presence besides Ben Chiarot that can add more scoring as well as a physical edge and that's exactly what Andersson brings to the table. It's hard to say if the Flames will deal him before next July as many teams have been rumored to be reaching out to Calgary, which means if this move is happening, it has to happen sooner than later.
At 28 years old, Andersson could be given a long term deal for a sizeable amount of money that would solidify the right side of the Red Wings defense into the future with Moritz Seider and Axel Sandin-Pellikka working in on the same side.
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