Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman has completed another NHL Free Agency at the helm in Hockeytown. Yzerman returned to the franchise in 2019 after spending years as the general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning. And for the longest time, Detroit fans have had a nearly unshakable belief in the former Red Wings captain.
It's easy to understand why Detroit fans held Yzerman in high regard. The longtime forward built one of the best teams in the league while with Tampa Bay. The Lightning did not win the Stanley Cup while he was general manager. However, the core that won the Cup in 2020 and 2021 was, in large part, built by the former Red Wings captain.
In Detroit, the Winged Wheel has yet to make the playoffs under Yzerman. They came close this past season as they finished on 91 points. They missed out by virtue of a tiebreaker with the Washington Capitals, though.
Coming close to playoff hockey has not ignited the Red Wings fanbase, however. In fact, that unshakeable belief in their general manager appears to have been shaken in a massive way. The Athletic released a fan survey regarding fan confidence in their front office. Shockingly the Red Wings ranked 21st out of 32 teams. This represents a big drop from last summer when they ranked 12th.
Fans are beginning to have major questions about Steve Yzerman as Red Wings general manager. However, the former Detroit captain remains the best man for the job. Here are two reasons for fans to keep their faith in Yzerman ahead of the 2024-25 season.
Steve Yzerman has reshaped prospect pipeline
When Yzerman took over in 2019, the Red Wings had a major lack of prospect depth. Names such as Filip Zadina, Michael Rasmussen, and Joe Veleno certainly held promise. However, their prospect pipeline was very top-heavy at the time.
Yzerman quickly changed things. He added top-end depth with the shock selections of Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Seider and Raymond have made an impact at the NHL level. In fact, Raymond led Red Wings skaters in points this past season with 72.
Yzerman has continued to stockpile promising prospects. Simon Edvinsson, Sebastian Cossa, Marco Kasper, Nate Danielson, Axel Sandin-Pellikka, and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard are the team's most recent first-round selections. And all of these names project to potentially play vital roles in the NHL.
Beyond this, the team has found some potential diamonds in the rough. Trey Augustine is one of the best goaltending prospects in the league. Amadeus Lombardi, William Wallinder, and Anton Johansson have also made strides. 2024 NHL Draft pick John Whipple is one of the more fascinating selections in the draft due to his potential.
The Red Wings have built one of the best prospect pipelines in the league. It's certainly not perfect by any means. Detroit doesn't have a game-breaking forward prospect, for instance. In saying that, they have had just one top-five pick in Steve Yzerman's reign as Red Wings general manager. He has to work with the hand he is dealt, and he has done well with those cards.
Red Wings have made consistent, steady progress
Yzerman's record as general manager certainly isn't perfect. A lot of the recent criticism around the Red Wings general manager stems from moves such as the Jake Walman trade. If Detroit wasn't making any progress, it certainly makes sense that fans would start asking questions.
However, Detroit has made progress under its former captain. In fact, they had an 11-point improvement from the 2022-23 campaign to 2023-24. And this progress isn't a recent thing. The Winged Wheel has improved every season since Yzerman's first year in 2019-20.
Detroit finished with 17 wins and 39 points in 2019-20. They had the third-worst single-season winning percentage in franchise history, according to Hockey Reference. It's easily the worst single-season winning percentage in modern Red Wings history.
After that, Detroit has made strides on the ice. They jumped to 48 points in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign. They were on pace to finish with 24 wins and 61 points had they matched the 71 games played in 2019-20. After that, the Red Wings have finished with 74, 80, and 91 points in each succeeding season.
A major reason for this success is the improved roster Steve Yzerman has constructed. Dylan Larkin is now surrounded with young cornerstones Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider. Last summer, they traded for Michigan native Alex DeBrincat to further bolster the team. Other notable additions through the years include Jake Walman, J.T. Compher, and Olli Maatta.
Of course, there are duds thrown in here. The goaltending situation certainly deserves criticism. Trades for Alex Nedeljkovic and Ville Husso have not worked. Signing Alex Lyon last summer did pay some dividends for Detroit. But overall, the situation in goal is messy at best.
Additionally, the Red Wings have an overcrowded blueline. Moritz Seider is entrenched as the team's top defenseman. Behind him, the Red Wings have Maatta, Jeff Petry, Ben Chiarot, Simon Edvinsson, Anton Johansson, Erik Gustafsson, William Lagesson, and Justin Holl. All of these players are capable of playing NHL games.
In saying this, the team has still improved a great deal. Compare this to the roster Yzerman inherited and it's a night and day difference. And sure, a team in Detroit's position could very well give more time to younger players. Given the consistent progression, though, it makes no sense for Detroit to lean completely into a youth movement.
Young players are going to get their shot in the NHL. Edvinsson will likely play a regular role in the NHL this season. Wallinder and Johansson could also earn spots this fall. Furthermore, wingers Carter Mazur and Jonatan Berggren could find time in the lineup. The kids will play, and they will play on an improved roster ready to play competitive hockey now and down the line.
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