ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski examines nine possible destinations for Matthew Tkachuk this morning in an article for ESPN+, and Wyshynski includes the Red Wings in his examples of potential trades:
Cap space: $10,296,111
Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman clearly signaled this summer that the time to turn the corner back to contention is now, with big free-agent signings (David Perron, Ben Chiarot, Andrew Copp) and a trade for Ville Husso. The Red Wings have the cap space and the capital to make a run at Tkachuk if that in fact fits into the Yzer-plan.
The pitch: F Tyler Bertuzzi, F Michael Rasmussen, D Filip Hronek, and an unprotected 2024 first-round pick for Tkachuk.
There’s zero chance that Yzerman trades a 2023 first-rounder with Connor Bedard waiting to supercharge someone’s franchise.
Bertuzzi helps immediately and is coming off a 30-goal season, but he’ll be an unrestricted free agent next summer. Rasmussen and Hronek give the Flames two players with more contractual control. We could see Jakub Vrana here instead of Bertuzzi, as he’s signed for two more seasons. It’s not a trade the Red Wings need to make, but one they could make if the price is right. And hey, Matthew and his brother would become division rivals, which would be fun.
Continued (paywall); I think Wyshynski’s offer is light. If the Flames took that kind of package, I’d do it.
