Steven-Stamkos

The Detroit Red Wings traded Pavel Datsyuk's cap hit to the Phoenix Coyotes in order to make a run at signing Steven Stamkos on Friday. (AP files)

(The Associated Press)

NHL free agency begins Friday, and the Detroit Red Wings made a big move at the draft last weekend, moving Pavel Datsyuk's $7.5 million cap hit to the Arizona Coyotes to free up space.

The Red Wings need help on offense and defense, and the big name on offense Detroit is pursuing is Steven Stamkos. Of course, Stamkos' services will require any team to pony up; the Red Wings are expected to offer the center a seven-year deal worth $70 million or more.

If the Red Wings strike out on Stamkos, there are some Plan B options that won't be as flashy as Stamkos but can help the Red Wings produce offense.

Let's take a look at some of the top forwards the Red Wings could sign Friday with their score-, zone- and venue-adjusted five on five stats from the 2015-16 season:

5 on 5 (15-16) Andrew Ladd David Backes Frans Nielsen Kyle Okposo Steven Stamkos Troy Brouwer GP 78 79 81 79 77 82 TOI (minutes) 1,025.39 1,096.23 971.34 1,114.79 1,092.87 1,041.12 CF60 59.51 59.89 60.76 58.02 58.16 58.62 CA60 57.89 51.87 55.05 56.16 56.74 56.76 CF% 50.69 53.59 52.46 50.82 50.62 50.81 Relative CF% -0.64 1.43 3.78 1.54 -1.80 -2.35 Individual G/60 0.64 0.44 0.49 0.59 0.93 0.46 Primary points/60 0.99 1.09 1.05 1.35 1.48 0.92 xGF60 2.59 2.66 2.53 2.56 2.35 2.52 xGA60 2.96 2.28 2.41 2.55 2.44 2.40 xGF% 46.69 53.92 51.21 50.08 49.05 51.18 GF60 2.42 2.02 2.30 2.39 2.75 2.14 GA60 2.46 1.69 1.86 2.27 2.05 1.72 GF% 49.62 54.48 55.23 51.31 57.27 55.53 Average shot distance (feet) 29.48 30.52 30.68 29.00 29.39 27.64

Note: Any stat with an "x" stands for expected. If you need a refresher on expected stats, click here.

As expected, Stamkos leads in a number of the categories but didn't have the dominant possession numbers one would expect a goal scorer like him to have. His 50.62 Corsi for percentage wasn't even in the top 150 of all players who played at least 700 minutes last season.

However, he did excel in the goal-scoring statistics -- something the Red Wings have lacked recently -- with a 0.93 individual goals per 60 minutes mark, a 2.75 team goals for per 60 minutes mark and a 57.27 goals for percentage.

Frans Nielsen, surprisingly, led in Corsi for per 60 minutes and relative Corsi for percentage. At 32, Nielsen is on the down swing of his career but could be a cheaper Plan B option for the Red Wings.

Of course, a player cannot be properly assessed on one season alone. Let's take a look at these same players' stats during the past three seasons:

5 on 5 (13-16) Andrew Ladd David Backes Frans Nielsen Kyle Okposo Steven Stamkos Troy Brouwer GP 237 233 239 210 196 246 TOI (minutes) 3,196.19 3,188.17 2,786.82 3,092.88 2,779.59 3,009.44 CF60 61.92 60.90 61.26 61.38 59.40 55.48 CA60 55.91 52.35 55.34 60.59 55.39 55.72 CF% 52.55 53.78 52.54 50.33 51.75 49.89 Relative CF% 1.61 1.23 2.52 0.17 -0.48 -0.70 Individual G/60 0.75 0.66 0.67 0.80 1.23 0.56 Primary points/60 1.35 1.32 1.23 1.63 1.90 0.94 xGF60 2.71 2.72 2.72 2.95 2.51 2.35 xGA60 2.65 2.27 2.45 2.88 2.42 2.38 xGF% 50.58 54.44 52.56 50.57 50.93 49.66 GF60 2.60 2.64 2.47 2.85 2.94 2.20 GA60 2.26 2.06 2.28 2.76 2.48 1.92 GF% 53.49 56.19 51.99 50.80 54.29 53.34 Average shot distance (feet) 30.77 30.01 28.81 27.95 26.90 28.61

There are some discrepancies in possession numbers and scoring numbers for Andrew Ladd and David Backes. Stamkos' scoring numbers are up a bit as well, which makes sense as he bounced from wing to center during the 2015-16 season and missed the final five regular-season games and all but one playoff game during 2015-16 with a blood clot.

Backes and Troy Brouwer are the more defensive-minded forwards but don't offer the goal-scoring capability the others do. Brouwer's possession numbers are the worst of the six players, but he has the best GA60 and second-best expected GA60 over the past three seasons.

How do these players stack up to each other visually? Let's take a look at their radar charts.

Forward radar chart by Ryan Stimson.

Note: The stat covered up by the list of names is scoring chances per 60 minutes. For an interactive version of the chart, click here.

Stamkos leads in shooting percentage and primary points per 60 minutes, the categories you would expect him to lead, but isn't so great in preventing scoring chances despite the quality of teammates.

Kyle Okposo edges Stamkos in scoring chances for per 60 minutes and leads the group in individual scoring chances per 60 minutes.

Stamkos is the top prize of the free-agent market, but Okposo and Nielsen could be good Plan B options should general manager Ken Holland be unable to lure Stamkos to Detroit.

UPDATE: TSN's Darren Dreger reports Milan Lucic is in Detroit's top three list of free agents.

Lucic is believed to be on Detroit's want list. Stamkos and Frans Nielsen are ahead of him on the list, but he's a man of interest for DRW. — Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) June 28, 2016

With that, let's look at Lucic's five on five stats:

Milan Lucic 5 on 5 2015-16 2013-16 GP 81 242 TOI (minutes) 1,165.79 3,381.31 CF60 69.52 65.15 CA60 47.58 54.07 CF% 59.37 54.65 Relative CF% 4.31 0.76 G60 0.82 0.83 Primary points/60 1.75 1.58 xGF60 2.93 2.66 xGA60 2.19 2.41 xGF% 57.20 52.40 GF60 3.20 3.00 GA60 2.06 1.89 GF% 60.77 61.33 Average shot distance (feet) 27.73 29.73

Lucic had unreal possession numbers with the Los Angeles Kings last season and can not only contribute on offense but keep the puck out of his own net.

He takes a lot of bad penalties (-37 penalty differential during the past three seasons), including a tendency to take cheap shots.

Lucic would be a good addition from an offensive standpoint, but he won't be able to shoulder the load of the scoring like Stamkos would.

Note: All data taken from Corsica.hockey.

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