Red Wings Have Incentive to Target One of Maple Leafs’ Core 4

The Detroit Red Wings made a lot of positive changes to their roster this season and have hope for the future. The plan appears to be to push for a playoff spot and make more strides than they did last season. Goaltending, defense, and depth have all been shored up, but they are still lacking some start power. Having an elite player isn’t everything as teams can win without one, but it is definitely something teams look for, whether that be through the draft, free agency, or through a trade.

One of the Red Wings’ rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs, haven’t made any progress in contract discussions with Willaim Nylander or Auston Matthews, while Mitch Marner and John Tavares’ contracts are up just one year after that. Based on the design of the Red Wings, they are in perfect position to take one of the Maple Leafs’ core four off of their hands.

Which Member is Best Suited for Detroit?

John Tavares

Right off the bat, I want to eliminate Tavares from contention. While I don’t think he wants to leave and could very well take a big discount on his next deal to stay in Toronto, the Red Wings would want someone younger to fit the bill of what they’re building.

William Nylander

Matthews and Nylander are the Maple Leafs’ most pressing concern as they are now in the final year of their deals. Toronto is much more willing to do what they can to keep Matthews around than Nylander, signified by their unwillingness to go up to the number on a contract Nylander is asking for. Nylander is the most likely player of the core four leaving Toronto within the next year, and since David Perron only has one year left before he becomes an unrestricted free agent, the timeframe lines up perfectly for the Red Wings to then target Nylander in free agency. They will have more than enough money and will get one more year to determine exactly what the Maple Leafs’ winger is worth. He might not be elite, but he’s a star and is a point-per-game player.

Auston Matthews

Matthews will be more difficult to pry from the Maple Leafs and they are more likely to trade him than let him walk in free agency. But if the Red Wings could pull off a 1-2 punch of Matthews and Dylan Larkin, they are instant contenders and have great center pieces to build a team around, one that is already well on its way to getting back in the playoff picture.

Mitch Marner

Marner is already one of the highest paid players and wingers in the NHL, and I don’t see his salary going down anytime soon. He’s from Ontario and enjoys playing there. By the time he’s in line to sign a new contract, the Matthews and Nylander situations will have been worked out. He’s not likely leaving Toronto, but is the elite talent the Red Wings don’t have on the wing.

Related: Major Decisions Ahead With Maple Leafs Way Over Salary Cap

As Alex DeBrincat was already brought in this offseason, another big move would indicate the Red Wings might be pushing the envelope just a little too quickly. 2024-25 is the season where big things should be expected of them and another big move. They should definitely be one of the leading teams to land Nylander or Matthews, depending on how things play out over the next year.