Three Players The Red Wings Should Trade As They Enter The McLellan Era

As the Detroit Red Wings map out a new direction with new coach Todd McLellan, the team is going to have some crossroads to deal with. And McLellan told media Friday there’s a simple message – and simple expectations – from the new coaching regime.

Related: Detroit Red Wings Fire Coach Derek Lalonde, Hire Todd McLellan

“What we’ve asked the players to do is play harder, to play faster and a little bit smarter,” McLellan said. “Those are three simple things that I think we can control without any type of tactics or systematic structure play.

“And then the last thing is, the spirit of the team has to improve. When something like this happens, the spirit of the team is at a low. We’re going to work hard to build that back up.”

McLellan said all the right things Friday, but the fact remains, this Wings team is eight points – and seven teams – away from the second and final wild-card berth. To make matters worse, the team also dropped their first game under McLellan Friday night against the Leafs in a 5-2 loss. For those reasons, Detroit GM Steve Yzerman needs to look seriously into trading away at least a few of the Red Wings’ veterans by or before the NHL’s March 7 trade deadline. Here are three such veterans:

1. Patrick Kane, RW

The 36-year-old Kane will be a UFA at the end of the current season, and while Kane has a full no-trade clause, he’s not going to get a bona fide chance at winning another Stanley Cup with this Red Wings team. And with his no-trade clause, Kane can essentially dictate where he can be traded to.

Kane hasn’t had an exceptional season on offense, with only five goals and 14 points in 30 games. His salary cap hit of $4 million makes him an affordable option for teams seeking depth and playoff experience, and the most he can likely get for Yzerman on the trade block is a mid-tier draft pick or slightly above-average prospect. It’s not a fairytale ending for Kane in Detroit, but considering the poor way things have unfolded for Kane and the Wings, an end to their time together is probably the best way to move forward.

2. Vladimir Tarasenko, RW

The 33-year-old Tarasenko is in the first season of a two-year contract with an annual cap hit of $4.75 million. He also has a full no-trade clause. But to be honest, given that Tarasenko’s offensive production has fallen off a cliff – going from 23 goals and 55 points in 76 games last season to just four goals and 13 points in 33 games this season – it’s difficult to imagine Yzerman getting anything in a trade other than getting out from under Tarasenko’s contract.

To that end, Yzerman may have to retain some of Tarasenko’s salary and/or attach a draft pick or prospect as a sweetener to get another team to take Tarasenko off Detroit’s hands. But, perhaps there’s a fit out there, on a much better team than the Red Wings are, where Tarasenko can resuscitate his career and once again be a 20-goal-scorer and 50-point player. But that won’t happen in the Motor City.

3. Cam Talbot, G

At 37 years old, Talbot is in the back nine of what has been a solid NHL career. But despite playing on a subpar Wings team, Talbot’s individual numbers – including a 2.98 goals-against average and .906 save percentage – aren’t inherently bad. And Talbot’s $2.5-million salary makes him relatively easy to fit into a contending team’s structure.

Talbot does have an additional season under contract, but he hasn’t shown any sign of slowing down, and if Talbot can be traded to a legitimate Cup contender, Yzerman might pick up a decent draft pick or prospect in return. More than a few teams need netminding depth, and Talbot would be a great fit – and a better fit than he currently is with the Wings.

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