Would Detroit really try to sign Kadri?

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After John Klingberg signed with Anaheim for a year, a name that had been linked with the Detroit Red Wings was dropped.

Never mind that GM Steve Yzerman said he was done with free agency. He didn’t stop the association with the former Dallas Stars defenseman.

“We have a lot of players right now,” he said after his signings two weeks ago. “I don’t know if I would look to do anything else in free agency. I don’t have a blockbuster in the works or anything like that.”

For this version of two truths and a lie, we will look at Nazem Kadri, who has been written about often lately and many of these writers mention Detroit as a possible destination.

Truth: Yzerman is on record saying he’s done signing free agents

The Red Wings general manager has joked in the past that many analysts, fans and pundits think he always has an ulterior motive when making deals.

If you look at his work in Detroit and Tampa, he’s been consistent with his comments.

This is what he said two weeks ago:

“I wouldn’t want to sign another big free agent and put myself in a position where I have to trade someone for whatever reason because it’s not a good time to do it.

“But I’m always looking for ways to try to improve.”

It already looks like new coach Derek Lalonde and Yzerman will play Tetris with who fits in and who doesn’t. Filip Zadina is yet to sign, as is Jake Walman. Beyond that, where will Joe Veleno fit in? And then there are the players pushing the roster, trying to be this season’s Lucas Raymond or Moritz Seider.

Adding Kadri would only confuse things more for Yzerman and Detroit.

Truth: Kadri would put the Red Wings in a playoff push

Adding a player of Kadri’s stature would definitely strengthen Detroit in the middle. So much so that it would actually give the Red Wings quite a bit of depth across three lanes. Technically, they could move Andrew Copp to the wing to create a pretty dynamic second or even front row. Or going further, Copp could center a third line, but that seems less likely.

Regardless of what would work, Kadri would come off an 87-point regular season (28-59) and then be almost a points-per-game guy in 16 playoff contests (7-8-15). Kadri plays hard and embodies the Yzerman-like work ethic that he is instilling in his roster. In fact, Sportsnet’s Sonny Sachdeva argues that the red wings I’d “covet” a guy like him just based on how Yzerman’s longtime friend Darren Pang describes the creation of the GM roster.

Once again, there’s the problem of having to make some tough decisions with guys who are already in the organization. But if Yzerman is really looking to put Detroit at its best over the last six seasons, signing Kadri would certainly be the solution.

Lie: The Avalanche would have already signed him if it was a priority

Speaking of another team that plays the Tetris roster. The defending champions don’t have a lot of room and will likely have to get rid of someone to get Kadri under the cap. Kadri will have to take a little less than the open market could get him. But if a contending team is really a prerequisite, why wouldn’t he stick around for a little less?

All it takes is a few million. like the ones on ESPN Greg Wyshinski write, how much is it worth to win for Kadri? If the 31-year-old forward is looking to win another Cup, Colorado seems like a safe bet. For those who associate him with Detroit, there’s no sure bet his presence would catapult Detroit to the top. Yes, the Red Wings would be better, but they’re fighting a lot of competition not only in their division, but also in the conference.

Avalanche still feels like the logical choice. It may just take some time and trickery for both sides to come to an agreement.

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