2 Sharks forwards the Detroit Red Wings need to inquire about
The San Jose Sharks are off to a wretched start to the 2022-23 season, and rumor has it general manager (GM) Mike Grier is open to listening to offers on just about anyone on their roster. The Detroit Red Wings need to inquire about a couple of Sharks’ depth forwards.
The Sharks find themselves in ‘salary cap hell’ due to a massive amount of money tied up in a plethora of aging veteran players. The Sharks currently have a Ken Holland-like feel to them. The organization is seeing a reemergence of star defenseman Erik Karlsson, but the 32-year-old defender comes with a cap hit of $11.5 million until the conclusion of the 2026-27 season.
The Sharks also may find it challenging to find a trade partner for captain Logan Couture, 33, who is owed $8 million per season for four more years following this year. Thomas Hertl, 29, is due $8.1 million until 2030, and I’ve saved the worst for last. Veteran defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic, 35, carries a cap hit of $7 million until the summer of 2026. Now, if these deals don’t feel Holland-like to you yet, they will. Each agreement contains a no-movement clause built in. Couture’s contract includes a ‘modified’ no-movement clause; the other three possess a full no-movement arrangement.
On average, that is $34.6 million of the $82.5 million tied up in four players, three of which are well into their 30s and one nearly there. Oh, and 26-year-old Timo Meier is a pending restricted free agent currently making $6 million; he will undoubtedly be looking to join the $8 million club this summer, and as it stands, the Sharks don’t have the funds.
The Sharks can certainly create the funds but then have to navigate a way to field the remainder of their roster unless they blow the whole roster up and start over. Something needs to give. The Sharks will certainly be looking to move some salary but will also need to eat some to maximize their return. Meier will be San Jose’s biggest trade chip if, and it’s a big if, they decide to trade him. Although he’d be a perfect replacement for Tyler Bertuzzi in Detroit’s top six, I don’t expect Yzerman to give up the young and proven assets the Sharks will command for Meier’s services.
Two San Jose Sharks forwards the Detroit Red Wings need to inquire about.
The Detroit Red Wings have the cap space to add a high-priced player but also need to be cautious with captain Dylan Larkin needing a contract extension. Plus, Yzerman is surely mindful of the future, balancing the budget for a Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider extension. It wouldn’t make sense to add an aging veteran with a high average annual value at the moment. Still, San Jose does have a few players the Detroit Red Wings need to be interested in acquiring if the possibility arises.
Detroit also has a few players with expiring deals that could be upgraded. Pius Suter, Adam Erne, and Oskar Sundqvist are all also pending UFAs. In addition to Bertuzzi, the Red Wings will get Robby Fabbri back sometime in January, which will feel like a midseason addition, but Yzerman is one to always exhaust all his options to better the roster now and for the future.
Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman needs to pick up the phone and call Mike Grier regarding the availability of forward Kevin Labanc.
Kevin Labanc is certainly flying under the radar across the league, but he’s proven to be the type of winger any team would enjoy on their club. The soon-to-be 27-year-old right-handed shot is currently sixth in scoring on the Sharks with four goals and 13 points over the first 25 games of the season. Labanc is averaging just under 16 minutes of ice time per night but maintains a stellar Corsi For Percentage of 57.4%.
Labanc also leads the Sharks with a Relative Corsi For Percentage of 12.5% during even strength situations. In comparison, Filip Hronek is the current leader in this category for the Detroit Red Wings with a 6.7% mark. Tyler Bertuzzi does have a better number at 7.3%, but only a nine-game sample size.
With the plethora of injuries the Detroit Red Wings have suffered this season should be in the market to add a top-nine forward, if not for a playoff push, someone with term heading into next season. Labanc checks the boxes. Labanc is due $4.7 million next season, the final year of his current deal, before becoming an unrestricted free agent.
Labanc recorded just three goals and six points over 21 games last season. He’s off to a much better start in 2022-23. Over his six-plus seasons with the Sharks, Labanc has scored 69 goals and 196 points over 385 games to date.
The Detroit Red Wings need to inquire about adding forward Alexander Barabanov from the San Jose Sharks.
Alexander Barabanov, 28, is a very intriguing forward who should garner plenty of interest ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline.
Barabanov is a playmaking winger that has become a consistent contributor and facilitator on the power play this season. The 28-year-old is off to a good start for the Sharks recording three goals and 15 points over the first 22 games of the season, with six of those 15 points coming on the power play.
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The talented winger has played his way onto the Sharks’ top power-play unit alongside Logan Couture, Timo Meier, Tomas Hertl, and Erik Karlsson. This is just Barabanov’s second full season in the NHL, but he has plenty of professional experience, having played parts of seven seasons in the KHL, five of which as a regular.
Last season Barabanov recorded ten goals and 39 points in 70 games, playing a hair over 17 minutes per night with the Sharks. The Detroit Red Wings, despite having a deeper roster than they’ve had in years, could still use a top-nine forward and someone that can contribute to the team’s second power-play unit.
The Detroit Red Wings will be without Tyler Bertuzzi until the second or third week of January, and then his future with the organization is up in the air. It seems that the pending free agent had been at the center of Detroit’s trade talks over the past two or three years. With no extension in sight and Dylan Larkin also without a new contract, this is likely the year Bertuzzi is dealt ahead of the March 3rd deadline unless the Red Wings are in or on the cusp of a playoff spot as the deadline approaches.
Barabanov carries a very affordable $2.5 million cap hit this season and next before becoming a UFA.