The big news around the hockey world is that forward Matthew Tkachuk will not re-sign with the Calgary Flames long-term. He'd rather have the Flames seek a trade to find Tkachuk a new home where he can re-sign long term. The Detroit Red Wings have to be in the running here.
As discussed in a recent piece, there's no reason for the Detroit Red Wings not to get involved or at least try to make a run at the Flames forward. Even with the Red Wings having an active offseason to this point, adding in Tkachuk could do a lot for this organization.
As mentioned above, Tkachuk is an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent who does not have a deal in place. The impending trade will allow him to get a long-term extension with a new team. For a team who is trying to flip the script on the rebuild and get over the hump, this is their chance.
With the moves the Red Wings have made already, they have picked up some pieces in free agency, but that should not stop the team from making a move for Tkachuk. Bob Heyrman recently wrote about the Red Wings rebuild shifting the direction of this team, adding in a piece as big as Tkachuk even further this change, pivoting it away from the 2021-2 season.
Adding in Matthew Tkachuk would pivot the Detroit Red Wings' rebuild.
Tkachuk has been a force for the Flames in recent years. In 2021-22, Tkachul found a groove and produced career-highs in a breakout performance. He played in all 82 games, scoring 42 goals and tallied 62 assists for 104 total points for the Flames this past season.
He has postseason experience with the Flames in recent years, and while he is just 24 years old, he is a veteran who brings plenty of benefits. Looking at this, trading for Tkachuk would only benefit the Red Wings. It would bring a massive influx of scoring and allow them to roll out two solid lines of offensive players.
Between the addition of Tkachuk and the signings of Andrew Copp, Dominic Kubalik, and David Perron, the offense will get a boost. Tkachuk would step into the Red Wings' offense and immediately become a first-line winger, allowing the Red Wings to shake things up in their offense.
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The team needs to make a leap in 2022-23. They need to make that jump to separate from the team they were in 2021-22. This is possible with a new coach and revamped offense; Tkachuk would be the piece that almost makes the pivot a certainty.
It will take a lot to acquire Tkachuk, and on paper could look like giving up a lot not to get enough back in return, but Tkachuk's addition would open doors for the Red Wings outside of locking up a big-time forward to join the team's core.
Wooing other free agents down the line gets easier, the offensive upside for this season immediately increases, and it frees up a chance to trade Tyler Bertuzzi if the Red Wings are still aboard that train. Even though he won't be a part of the deal with the Flames due to his vaccination status, another deal could happen.
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The Detroit Red Wings have to see this as an opportunity to make a big splash and vault this team into a better spot. Adding in a player like Tkachuk is the move that does it. It's easy to trust in Steve Yzerman and the Yzerplan, but fans should hope he is making a push to acquire Tkachuk.
