Rumor: Tkachuk linked to Red Wings in trade talks

All signs point to a change of scenery for Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk in the next few weeks here. 

The RFA forward informed the Flames earlier this week that he WON'T be signing a long-term contract with the team and would multiple NHL insiders have reported that a trade seems likely for Tkachuk. This, of course, is a HUGE blow to the Flames... a team who already lost superstar forward Johnny Gaudreau earlier this offseason.

Jeremy Rutherford of The Atheltic reported yesterday that Tkachuk's trade list features the St. Louis Blues, Vegas Golden Knights, Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars, but that report has since been questioned by Flames insider Eric Francis. Wherever Tkachuk ends up though, it's clear that he's likely to have a new home before the 2022-23 season.

Sporsnet analyst Mike Johnston speculates that the Detroit Red Wings are one of the few teams who could put together the required pieces to acquire Tkachuk and accurately points out that Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman has been overhauling his roster this offseason. In particular Johnston speculates that a package deal of former 6th overall picks Filip Zadina and Simon Edvinsson, one of established forwards Tyler Bertuzzi or Jakub Vrana and a 1st round pick could net the team Tkachuk in return. Now, for those saying that that's too steep a price to pay, keep in mind that Tkachuk is just 24 years old and he put up a 102 point campaign in 2021-22. This is a guy who is entering the prime of his career and is on the cusp of being the NHL's next great power forward. I can't help but see him as the next Brendan Shanahan if and when he dons a Red Wings uniform. 

To me though, the Red Wings actually have a pretty balanced roster moving forward. Yes, Tkachuk would improve that roster immediately, but at what cost down the road? Edvinsson looks to be an absolute stud and there's still reason to believe that Zadina can find his stride, especially under a new head coach. As for the 1st round pick... who knows what that could end up being? Sure, the Red Wings have improved this offseason, but would anyone be terribly surprised if the team finds itself in the NHL Draft Lottery once again? If that's the case is Tkachuk worth giving up a shot for future franchise game-changer Connor Bedard? Personally, I think it's too steep of a price to pay, even if Tkachuk is a fantastic player.