'The Hockey News' Predicts Red Wings Will Pull Off Blockbuster Trade For Steven Stamkos
By Dan Jenkins
@DanTJenkins
Ken Holland and the Detroit Red Wings aren't known as big players on the trade market, but someone seems to think that Hockeytown is about to gain a superstar in the coming months in a blockbuster deal.
The Hockey News released its list of four bold predictions for the NHL in 2016. Topping the list is a mega deal that involves the Red Wings and the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ken Campbell writes that the Wings will make a move for star center Steven Stamkos in a deadline deal.
"Steven Stamkos will sign an eight-year contract extension with the Tampa Bay Lightning matching dollar-for-dollar the $84 million deals signed by Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews…then immediately be traded to the Detroit Red Wings along with Jonathan Drouin just before the trade deadline."
Something the Red Wings have been know to do is give out giant contracts, which is what Campbell suggests would be a major part of this deal. However, Holland would have to part with some of the franchise's most valuable assets to pull off a trade of this size.
"Faced with the prospect of losing him for nothing, Lightning GM Steve Yzerman will orchestrate a "sign-and-trade" deal for Stamkos with the Red Wings that will allow Stamkos to go to the team of his choice and get an eight-year deal, getting around the seven-year deal he would have had to sign with Detroit if he were to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer.
The price for Stamkos and Drouin will be steep – sniper Gustav Nyquist, a pair of 24-year-old pending restricted free agents in Riley Sheahan and Alexey Marchenko, along with top prospect Anthony Mantha and the Red Wings first-round pick in 2016 and 2017. Stamkos will immediately go back to his center position, moving the aging Pavel Datsyuk down to a checking role more suited to him on the third line."
What do you think about this proposal? Would you give up on some of the Red Wings' top young players to get a bona-fide superstar like Steven Stamkos? Let us know by voting in the poll below.
