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Just trade tarasenko back to St. Louis for old times sake and we will just settle for Robert Thomas
If they really make it difficult then we can add holl and veleno but if it pushes it over the edge, then I’m willing to add a 2nd with krug coming back for funzies
Better not twist my arm more though or I might have to add Gustafson, so don’t make me mad!
Tarasenko could be on his way to Colorado. At least they’ve been sniffing around him since before the Rantanen trade. Thought it might be something that didn’t make much sense, but now I’ve heard it from multiple people, and Detroit’s recent actions, only add to the speculation.
A month ago I wouldn’t have even considered him an option to be sent packing but with the way Soderblom played both in camp, and since his arrival, the Wings have a decision they can make now, rather than in the off-season, because that’s who’s spot Soderblom would likely be taking.
You almost wonder if it’s why they’ve left him in Kane’s spot since 88 returned. A little bit of a showcase to prove he can still play in a Top 6. Sure looks like he can. At times at least. So teams will have interest.
The 3-year cap increase is a massive game changer, that’s going to allow these types of moves again. Guys like Tarasenko and Copp are no longer “cap filler” contracts, and go back to being “luxury contracts.” In fact, teams are going to want those type of deals because there’s shorter term to them as well, as July 1 is going to see stupid money thrown around again to 3Cs and Luxury wingers.
For those who’ve been following this stuff for years, you’ll remember not too long ago, $5-$6 million 3Cs were pretty normal, and not just in Detroit. That specific position has taken the biggest hit over these bad cap years, and agents are gearing up for that being the biggest reversal, simply because you win Cups up the middle and there’s not 64 Top 6 C in the NHL, who produce enough to win consistently. So teams need that 3C to even things out somewhat, and the contenders need them, to put themselves over the top.
That along with what we always called a “Luxury Winger” slot. Exactly what Tarasenko is, and he’s at $4 million for another year. Players who’ve been big producers before, and have been associated with winning. Those guys were also hit big with the bad cap years. Nothing like the 3Cs though, who actually lost value.
With this 3 year Cap increase, after the big boys get their cut, we’re now going to see the market correct itself. Agents are already preparing for it.
For the last 5 years or so, the big boys took ALL of the smaller increases, as well as a percentage from other positions.
This is going to be a big cap relief for Detroit, with both Copp and Compher on the books. Not only should it be easier to move one of them, there’s teams who have room this season because of LTIR, etc, and will likely fill those roles early, if they can. Contenders mainly. So Colorado for example, can add a Tarasenko and even a Compher or a Copp (if they can somehow rid themselves of Mittlestadt).
With the way Soderblom has played, the Wings now need to create another spot. He’s ready and I’ve been hearing they think Cross Hanas might be ready to take a spot soon as well. They’re obviously hoping Mazur also kicks it into gear rather quickly, as he returns from injury.
As for #11, don’t think Tarasenko is part of any Mittlestadt deal. From what I can gather, the Wings aren’t as high on pursuing Mittlestadt as they may have been a year ago, but that’s me mostly speculating. He’s a tough player to figure out. He’s fallen off of a cliff in Colorado and they can’t trust him on the ice anymore. Any point production has been outweighed by how bad he is defensively.
So even though GMs and coaches always think they can fix a talented player, at $5.75 for two more years, I’m not so sure they wanna take that chance. The only way I can see the Wings be where Mittlestadt lands, is if they truly believe Kasper should remain on the wing AND think they can fix him. Don’t think that’s the case though. Or hell, maybe they think long-term, they can use Mittlestadt on the wing, and turn him into a Jake DeBrusk type. Who knows.
At the end of the day though, think it’s just a coincidence that the Avs are looking at Tarasenko, while they’re shopping Mittlestadt. If it turns out, they’re waiting to trade Mittlestadt before they’ll move on Tarasenko, we could see him land somewhere else. If that is the case, we’ll see if others are interested anyway.
Wouldn’t expect much in return. This is just Detroit creating some space because another young player is ready. More than likely a 3rd rounder in 2026 and an expiring rostered player or prospect who’s out of options.
It also frees up $4 million to go shopping for a truer need heading into the deadline.
Not too much else I’m hearing about Detroit, other than they’re still after a legit 2C like half the NHL, and a Top 4 Dman who will be the permanent partner for Seider or Edvinsson. Likely replacing Chiarot, who the Wings would like to move out of their D-Core, knowing he’s not happy with his new role, playing as a support Dman, and no longer “carrying a pairing.” It’s literally one of the reasons Lalonde was fired, so that’s not going to happen for Chiarot in Detroit again. So it’s time to move on. Some of the people out West think he’s a lock for the Oilers closer to the deadline. We’ll see.
One name to throw out there who’s probably available and really taken a nice step finally, is Rasmus Ristolainen. Still think they’d love to get their hands on K’Andre Miller for that slot, but we’ll see how it plays out in NY. He still, like Byrum, doesn’t have that new contract, and neither team will let either, reach Arbitration this summer. So they’ll both likely be traded before the draft, and will get more in return the sooner they make a deal. Yzerman’s history says he’d prefer Miller over Byrum, but we’ll see how things play out.
It really has been years since the Wings had the type of ammunition to make these types of deals, if they want to. They’ve now reached that level with how well they’ve drafted, and the amount of 200+ Game NHL prospects they have now. They can make multiple big deals if they’d like to. Which should make the next year and a half, pretty fun in Detroit, as Yzerman has never been scared to make the deals.
