This upcoming free agency, there are a couple of intriguing talents. Many of these top players likely won’t hit free agency even without having a contract in place at the moment.
These ideas floating around about Mitch Marner coming to Detroit are fun, but not very realistic. Plenty of other options abound. Yet, the Detroit Red Wings have question marks in what they can offer players.
According to Steve Yzerman, he’s not faced difficulties signing players. I’m not sure I believe The Captain, but I would reckon he has an easier time convincing players to play in Hockeytown now than Ken Holland (now pursuing the same role for the LA Kings) did toward the end of his tenure as general manager of the Wings.
Red Wings fans aren’t stupid. We know that we need help at every position. Pretty much every aspect of the game (physicality, defense—both at forward and actual defense, goaltending, offense depth, high-end talent, etc.).
Sam Bennett is drawing many eyes; could the Detroit Red Wings be some of them?
Of course, the Detroit Red Wings can and should be kicking tires when possible. Especially, with the likes of Sam Bennett, interest should be fairly high from the Wings.
Although Bennett isn’t high-end in talent and doesn’t tend the goal, he helps in almost every other facet of the game.
Bennett is a no none sense kind of player who can score goals, beat opponents down, and instill confidence in his teammates. He’s someone who could help the Wings tremendously, as my colleague Ryan O’Hara referenced in early April.
My biggest question, though, is what the contract would look like, and would it be worth it for the Detroit Red Wings long-term?
Per Puckpedia, Bennett is making a modest $4.425 million at the ripe age of 28. For Yzerman, it seems the term is much more of a concern than the dollar figure.
He doesn’t hand out dollars like candy, but if a few extra dollars shave off a year of a contract, then Yzerman seems to prefer this option. With the prospects coming up, it seems that Yzerman values his timeline like the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in phase three (known as the prime years of the MCU).
Bennett will be seeking both a pay raise and a long-term contract.
Dollar-wise, I think Yzerman happily signs a contract for north of $7 million per season for a guy like Bennett. However, I don’t think he signs a contract for more than three to five seasons (even five is pushing things). Yes, there will be a raised cap, yes, he already has flexibility, but the flexibility in cap space at the tail end of a rebuild can make or break the entire rebuild. Yzerman isn’t going to mess things up for a short-term gain. (Not that Bennett would mess things up, but if the contract exceeds four or five seasons, then I don’t think that aligns with Yzerman’s vision.)
I wonder who else might be on the free agent market come July 1 (opening day for free agency). Can’t help but wonder if someone like Brad Marchand (if he’s not only going to Stanley Cup contenders), Brandon Tanev, or even possibly Andrew Mangiapane (maybe not so physical a player or consistent, but a better age than the other two).
All this being said, I think the Wings will kick tires on Bennett if he makes it to free agency. Will he be their number one target? I could see it, but I think other teams have better positions in the playoff race, rosters, lifestyles to offer, no state income tax to hear of, and contracts that they can offer.
Can the Detroit Red Wings convince top free agents to join their team?
The biggest dilemma the Wings may have is convincing players that they are a playoff-contending team.
Hiring veteran NHL coach Todd McLellan should help their case. His comments at his end of the media availability should help things as well. In his discussion, he claims the Wings are a playoff-bound team if they’re not letting points slip away (he uses much more colorful language).
Should and are two different things. Having a big-name free agent join the mix should go a long way in helping bring stability and depth to the lineup. Coupled with a full summer of planning with McLellan and his staff, along with a training camp and preseason that McLellan runs, gives me confidence that the Red Wings will look better, more consistent overall than last season.
Also, it’s helpful to have Alex DeBrincat because, not only is he a stellar player in his own right, but he also brought Patrick Kane to Detroit. If Kane stays, and there’s mutual interest in an extension, having Kane on your roster is a big draw.
Young and veteran players alike want a chance to play on a team with Kane. As much as a Stanley Cup window is closing, so too is the chance to play with a guy like Kane.
No matter what happens, it should be interesting to see what Yzerman does come free agency. Until then, we’ll have to wait and see if any fun or crazy trades happen.