Red Wings fans should be happy Stars overpaid for Myers

The Detroit Red Wings missed out on another blueline target, as rumored NHL trade deadline addition Tyler Myers agreed to a deal with the Dallas Stars.

The Red Wings reportedly had a deal in place for Myers. But due to the veteran blueliner’s no-movement clause, he had to approve the deal. Myers and his camp took their time, likely balking at the deal, hoping that someone else would pony up.

That someone else was Dallas.

And Red Wings fans should be glad the Stars overpaid for Myers.

On the surface, the price tag doesn’t seem too bad -- a 2027 second-round pick and 2029 fourth-round pick. But, when considering that Myers is a third-pairing defenseman on a deep team like Dallas, paying two picks for him seems outrageous.

But such is the market dynamics at the moment. Some will argue that the price tag rose due to the Canucks’ salary retention. Moreover, Myers still has one more year left on his contract.

Still, there are better uses for two draft picks. The Red Wings know this and likely offered a much lower return than the Stars. The Canucks knew it, but because they had a firm deal in place, took the offer to Myers.

Myers balked at the offer, with the Red Wings sort of holding their breath. In the end, it was good that Dallas swooped in and upped the ante. Detroit fans shouldn’t be disappointed. The outcome shows that the team is prudent and does not easily succumb to the hype of trade deadline pressure. Far too many GMs have been burned for hasty deadline deals, just look at the Toronto Maple Leafs.

As for why Myers nixed the deal to Detroit, that’s anyone’s guess. An educated guess would be that Myers wanted to go to a legit Stanley Cup contender. While the Red Wings are going places, the Stanley Cup Final isn’t one of them, at least not now.

Myers is 36 and likely figures this could be his final chance at a Cup. So, Dallas made the most sense for him. But there could be another reason why Dallas was the plan all along.

Myers passes over Detroit to play in his home state

Tyler Myers is originally from Texas. While his parents are Canadian, the former 12th overall pick from the 2008 NHL draft was born in Houston, Texas. He lived in Texas until the age of 10, when his family moved to Calgary. While he has represented Canada internationally, Myers does have American roots.

With that said, it makes sense that playing in Dallas would be a type of homecoming for Myers. If anything, landing in Dallas means Myers will have a real shot at making a prolonged postseason run.

Despite the evident reasons for the move, you have to wonder if players don’t really see Detroit as a go-to destination. This season, the Wings have been in the mix for other big names, but the deals ended up going sideways.

The Red Wings were once a dream destination for free agents. That hasn’t been the case for about a decade now. But it won’t be long before players see Detroit as a go-to destination once again.