Less than a week ago, a rumor that the Detroit Red Wings were talking about picking up Tampa Bay’s star player, Steven Stamkos, left fans in a dizzy.
The Hockey News’ Ken Campbell made the bold prediction. As soon as one person caught wind of such an astronomical trade it spread like wildfire. Everyone had to put their two-cents in, since the Red Wings are not known to grab big name players off the trade market.
To break down the deal, Steve Yzerman would make this a “sign-and-trade”, where he would sign Stamkos to an 8-year contract, matching Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane’s $84 million contracts, then trade him to the Wings along with Jonathan Drouin.
For the lofty cost of Stamkos and Drouin, the Wings would send C Riley Sheahan, RW Gustav Nyquist, D Alexey Marchenko, RW Anthony Mantha and a first-round pick in 2016 and 2017.
Nyquist is a fan-favorite and a good player who has proven himself in the NHL. He can jump across the line and still produce numbers.
Sheahan is a big physical center who is a great 3rd or 4th liner, who adds great depth. He is in the middle of his prime.
Marchenko is a possible up-and-coming defensemen. He is a 24-year-old who has been learning about the game and has been earning his spot on the Red Wings lineup for his first full year in the NHL.
Mantha was the Wings first-round pick in the 2013 draft and has been playing with the Grand Rapids Griffins ever since. He has been making a lot of noise in the AHL and is almost ready for the big leagues.
Also, taking a look at the 20-year-old from Canada, Drouin. He is a winger and was a first round pick, third overall, for the Lightning back in 2013. He’s creative, agile, and a good skater. He’s extremely offensive with good hands and on-ice-vision. His shot is decent but he’s more useful as a playmaker which he can be used on the power play.
Back in November, Drouin formally requested a trade from Tampa.
“He’s going to do very well wherever he goes in the right situation,” former teammate, Nathan MacKinnon said. “He just wants responsibility.”
Many teams are in the hunt to snag him, but who’s to say he won’t do the same thing and ask for a trade here in Detroit.
Stamkos on the other hand is a 25-year-old who has made a name for himself in the league and is in his prime. His contract is up at the end of this season and has not come to an agreement with the Lightning for a contract extension. As stated earlier, he wants a big contract and rightfully so.
Over his career he has played 535 games and has accumulated 531 points. In comparison, Kane has played 621 and has racked up 620 points, while Toews has played 535 games and has put up 531 points. Stamkos would be 34 at the end of his contract, ending at a time where he could still be producing great numbers, or could fall out into a slump earlier than expected.
I believe this trade really underrated the Wings. Stamkos is a great player and he is worth quite a bit, but to send a pair of young guns from the Wings that are just finding their stride in the NHL and creating a brand for themselves is selling the Wings short.
Along with those two they would send Marchenko, a young defenseman getting his first real shot with the Wings which we have yet to really see him grow, and Mantha, one of the Wings top prospects from the Griffins who has yet to really show what he has to offer the Wings. Along with all of this is the first-round picks from 2016 and 2017.
I understand that Stamkos is at the top of his game right now with 20 goals and 13 assists this season so far, but the Wings have untapped potential and some players haven’t gotten their break. Also to give away the first-round picks is where I really draw the line. This is basically like losing Dylan Larkin. The Wings have a chance of finding someone of that caliber that could really form this new era for the Wings just like Larkin has done.
Next: Dylan Larkin vs. Artemi Panarin Debate
As fans, we need to believe more in the players that we have and grow from within. I think Ken Holland is and has been doing the right thing by trading players that could help the Wings and not grabbing star players like Stamkos. By these flashy trade deals, we are sending away the future for the Wings, a group that Detroit needs to build on, not break.