Could Calgary Flames F Matthew Tkachuk land with the Detroit Red Wings?
Earlier on Wednesday, it was reported that Tkachuk has notified the Flames that he will not re-sign with them and there is a belief that the Flames will not look to trade him to the highest bidder.
Though Red Wings’ general manager Steve Yzerman recently told reporters that he did not have any big moves up his sleeve, we would never put anything by him to surprise us all.
Detroit Red Wings listed as destination for Matthew Tkachuk
Matthew Tkachuk, who in my opinion is one of the best forwards in the NHL, scored 42 goals and dished out 62 assists in 82 games during the 2021-22 season.
Assuming the Flames are going to try to trade Tkachuk, you can bet they will have a solid of teams that are interested in making a bid.
Hailey Salvian and Sean Gentille of The Athletic put out an article on Wednesday in which they list seven teams from around the league that are potential destinations for Tkachuk.
One of the seven teams listed is the Detroit Red Wings.
From The Athletic:
The Red Wings are in a good spot; they have the cap space and roster construction (22 out of 23 spots filled) that would allow them to accommodate Tkachuk immediately, and a prospect pool more than good enough to net him in the first place. They’re short on established, young NHL players with remaining years of team control — that they’d be interested in trading, at least.
The most interesting, realistic package from Detroit? A win-now player like Tyler Bertuzzi (2023 UFA, $4.75 million AAV) or Jakub Vrana (UFA 2024, $5.25 million AAV), younger pros like defenseman Filip Hronek (RFA 2024, $4.4 million) or Filip Zadina (22 years old, RFA) and some combo of picks and prospects other than Simon Edvinsson and 2022 No. 8 overall pick Marco Kasper.
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There’s no shortage of options there for Calgary. The issue — and it’s a big one — is whether Tkachuk would have any interest in signing a long-term deal with Detroit. Age-wise, he fits, especially given the moves GM Steve Yzerman just made. A team with Andrew Copp, David Perron and Ben Chiarot is no longer just rebuilding, and the rest of the team’s core — led by 2023 UFA Dylan Larkin, Calder Trophy winner Moritz Seider and top rookie forward Lucas Raymond — is ready to turn the corner.
Detroit probably isn’t in the same tier as perceived front-runners like St. Louis – and frankly, it’s easy to argue that they should be. Why wouldn’t Tkachuk want to, say, replace Bertuzzi on a line with Larkin and Raymond, on a roster as balanced as the one Yzerman has built? He’d be familiar with the area with his experience in the U.S. National Team Development Program – now based in Plymouth, Mich. And he’d be the biggest star on the Detroit Red Wings. Something to keep in mind.
Nation, would you like to see the Detroit Red Wings trade for Matthew Tkachuk?
