Helene St. James

Detroit Free Press

If Pavel Datsyuk does return to Russia after this season, the Detroit Red Wings would be best served by finding a way to turn an unideal situation into a coup.

Datsyuk told the Free Press he will go home after the Stanley Cup playoffs, which begins with a first-round series against Tampa Bay.

Datsyuk, 37, has one season left on the three-year, $22.5 million contract that took effect in the summer of 2014. It averages out to a salary cap hit of $7.5 million, but the actual salary breakdown had Datsyuk collecting $10 million in 2014-15, and $7.5 million this season. He would make $5.5 million next season, though the cap hit to the Wings remains $7.5 million whether he returns to Detroit or not.

Because the extension took effect after Datsyuk turned 35, collective bargaining rules dictate the contract stands even if Datsyuk retires. That could devastate the Wings, leaving them with a significant cap hit and no player.

Dan Milstein, Datsyuk's agent, told the Free Press the Wings have said they would not try to trade Datsyuk's contract. Yet that is the only scenario that makes sense for the Wings. There are no loopholes in the CBA. It's trade the contract, or take the hit.

It would be huge if the Wings could do something similar to what the Philadelphia Flyers did with the contract of Chris Pronger, trading it to Arizona so the Coyotes could add the cap hit to their bare-bones payroll even though Pronger was long done playing.

It would not be easy, nor cost-free for Detroit. There are few teams that operate near the lower-end of the salary cap, which for next season is projected in the range of this season's $52.8 million to $71.4 million. Teams near the bottom include Winnipeg, Arizona, Buffalo and Carolina. To unload the contract, the Wings would likely have to include a sweetener in the deal, such as a high draft pick.

If the Wings can pull that off, there could be significant payoff. Adding $7.5 million to the contracts coming off the books this summer - such as Kyle Quincey's $4.25 million - would give the Wings enough cap maneuverability to take a run at pending unrestricted free agent Steven Stamkos. Stamkos, who is currently sidelined with blood clots in his arm, has declined to re-sign with the Tampa Bay Lightning to this point. At 26, he is a premier young forward, and would go a long ways towards rejuvenating the Wings and ameliorating the loss of Datsyuk.

Contact Helene St. James: hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames.

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