The Athletic’s Shayna Goldman posted a set of theoretical trades submitted by hockey fans this morning, using Prashanth Iyer’s “Trade Machine” to determine who “wins” the deal, and one of those theoretical trades involves a Red Wings player going to Calgary for an offensive defenseman:
To Detroit: Oliver Kylington
To Calgary: Filip ZadinaThe Red Wings did bulk up their defense this summer, but the real question when looking at that group of eight NHL-caliber defensemen is how many are truly top-four worthy? That’s what adds some intrigue here.
If Detroit could bring in a player like Kylington, whose timeline should match up somewhat well with theirs, it would allow management to flip lesser defenders for some depth forward adds. His skill set would click well in Detroit, too. The focus there this summer has been strengthening play in their own zone, but it still helps to have blueliners who can break the puck out of their own end and move it up the ice. The only question is how well Kylington would adapt to a team with a lot less defensive structure than Calgary, and if his game would slide at all without the shutdown capabilities of his mainstay partner of this past season, Chris Tanev.
This could make sense for the Flames as well now that MacKenzie Weegar is in the fold. Calgary has five top-four caliber defensemen and could be inclined to move one for forward help. The advantage from this trade is the years Zadina still has under team control, plus the cap space he’ll absorb over the next few years compared to Kylington. That’s what makes Calgary the winner here, by the trade machine.
So even though there are ways to project Calgary as the winner in this circumstance, it’s possible the Flames want more assurance with a more established forward in exchange for one of their defenders.
Continued; if the Red Wings are unable to come to a contract agreement with the 22-year-old Zadina, who’s a restricted free agent without arbitration rights, I can theoretically see the Wings moving him to a cap-stretched team that could accommodate a deal in the $2 million range.
Kylington is only 25 and just signed a 2-year, $5 million extension with Calgary, and he’s coming off a season in which he posted 31 points (9 goals and 22 assists) in 73 games, which is more than Zadina’s 24 (10 goals and 14 assists) in 74 games.
Granted, the Flames would “win” in that Zadina isn’t a free agent until he’s 25–or later, depending on what kind of “bridge deal” he signs this summer–but getting somebody like Kylington would be a fine “win” for Detroit in my opinion.
He makes some defensive gaffes from time to time, but he’s generally very solid, and it’s hard to find a 30-point defenseman at that kind of cost-certain price.
