Could Red Wings Target Maple Leafs' Tavares?

Maple Leafs centre is appearing likely to hit open market with the Detroit Red Wings being a potential suitor

The Toronto Maple Leafs are tired of going through the same routine every year of losing in the first or second round and are making some changes. It was seemingly confirmed that they will be losing superstar winger Mitch Marner this off-season and we may be able to add another name to the departures list.

Veteran centre and former captain John Tavares is an unrestricted free agent this summer and recent reports suggest that both sides aren't close to an agreement. 

The 34-year-old Mississauga native may be exploring his options once again, having previously left the New York Islanders in 2018 after nine seasons with the team. He would go on to play seven seasons with his hometown Maple Leafs. At an older age, he may start looking to chase cups rather than staying at home in Toronto. 

A second-line centre is a hot commodity heading into this summer as many contenders are looking for depth up the middle with Tavares being one of if not the top available name for this role. This begs the question of if the Detroit Red Wings would be interested?

The Red Wings are relatively set up the middle with captain Dylan Larkin manning the top line while Marco Kasper fills in the second line followed by Andrew Copp and J.T. Compher rounding out the centre group, according to Daily Faceoff. A high-end centre like Tavares could better round out the group by inserting him to the second line spot while moving Kasper off to the wing or pushing him to the third line and then pushing out Copp or Compher, who have both recently seen time at winger.  

Tavares was a faceoff powerhouse last season, leading the Maple Leafs with a 58.3 per cent success rate on 1,308 draws, the third-highest among NHL centres with at least 1,000 faceoffs. For Detroit, he could provide a dependable option alongside Larkin, who posted a 54.5 per cent success rate, ranking 19th among high-volume centers. This would give bench boss Todd McLellan a confident second option that he can deploy to win a much-needed draws in the offensive zone. 

Not to mention, Tavares is coming off one of his best seasons in years with 38 goals and 34 assists for 74 points in 75 games. He could continue to work as a solid 60-70 point producer over the next two or three seasons and could round out Detroit's top six into one of the best in the league. 

With a core group featuring Lucas Raymond, Alex DeBrincat, Marco Kasper, Vladimir Tarasenko, along with Dylan Larkin and John Tavares, the team would boast an elite top unit, allowing GM Steve Yzerman and the rest of the management team to concentrate on adding impactful bottom-six forwards to round out a true playoff contender.

It will be challenging as many teams will be in the market for a second-line center, likely sparking a bidding war. Convincing him to move within the division would also be a tough sell. However, the opportunity to join a rising team on the verge of a playoff breakthrough, one with the league’s top prospect pool, could be enticing. 

Still, making such a move would mean reallocating cap space away from addressing key needs like bolstering the defence or having the cap space to add a winger like Brock Boeser, who can fill a lot of needs for the Detroit offence while keeping the current center group intact.