With Steve Yzerman’s time as GM coming to an end in Detroit, Red Wings fans have a right to be angry with the results, or lack thereof, during his tenure. When Yzerman joined the Red Wings’ front office, his resume spoke for itself. The Tampa Bay Lightning have Yzerman to thank for their years in the limelight. Yzerman built a dynasty with his excellent draft picks, no-nonsense approach and savvy free-agent signings. Detroit received very little of his brilliance in Tampa.
Let’s start by doing a retrospective of Yzerman’s time with Detroit. When he joined the Red Wings brass, Yzerman inherited a team in cap hell. Ken Holland, the previous GM of the Red Wings, overpaid a smattering of veterans on the Red Wings, including Frans Nielsen, Jonathan Ericsson, Justin Abdelkader, Danny DeKeyser, and Stephen Weiss. Weiss’s deal still stands in infamy, as he was bought-out in year two of his five year deal.
These contacts, as well as multiple others, put Yzerman in a tough spot when he inherited the role in 2019. Yzerman’s first big splash came when he swapped Anthony Mantha (another Holland overpay) for Jakub Vrana and a few other pieces. Vrana was solid for the Wings, and it looked as if the Yzerplan was taking shape. However, injuries and off-ice issues dampened Vrana’s time with the Wings. Vrana was flipped to the Blues for a seventh-round pick and a prospect.
Yzerman’s next blockbuster came with the arrival of Alex Debrincat, who essentially forced his way onto the Red Wings from Ottawa. Dominik Kubalik, prospect Donovan Sebrango, a conditional 2024 first-round draft pick, and a 2024 fourth-round draft pick were sent to the Senators in exchange for The Cat.
All things considered, this was a great deal for the Wings. Detroit had their high-end forward, one who wanted to be in Detroit more than anything. Yzerman even brought in the legend himself, Patrick Kane, who built a deep friendship with Debrincat in Chicago. It finally looked as if the Yzerplan was taking shape.
However, the team was unable to make the playoffs with the two. Kane’s contract was an absolute victory for Detroit, but paired with the weaker contracts, the victory is smudged. Andrew Copp and JT Compher are two depth centers who have underperformed in the context of their pay. Copp is on a five year deal with $5.6 million a year, while Compher is at $5.1 million for five years as well.
Both forwards were, frankly, not worth the money the moment the ink dried. Both forwards combined for 71 points this season. Meaning, Yzerman paid a combined $10.7 Million for two players who don’t combine for a point per game. It should also be mentioned that Copp played 79 games, and Compher played all 82.
Copp and Compher, themselves, are not the issue. The issue is the lack of dynamic talent. Copp and Compher are two-way depth forwards, the kind that don’t move the needle, and certainly don’t put the puck in the net. Patrick Kane and Alex Debrincat are the kinds of forwards Detroit need, but the pair just wasn’t enough. As of July 23rd, Patrick Kane’s time in Detroit is done. Debrincat’s future with the Red Wings is uncertain.
Ok, so trades and free-agency didn’t go as planned for Yzerman. Let’s take a look at his drafting portfolio. Some Red Wings fans will be quick to point out that the draft was Yzerman’s biggest strength in Detroit. There is some validity to these claims. Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider, both undervalued during their respective drafts, have both excelled into superstars in the NHL.
Additionally, players like Marco Kasper, Emmitt Finnie, Nate Danielson, Carter Bear and Axel Sandin-Pellikka are cause for excitement within the Red Wings organization. With each young star, it began to look as if the Yzerplan was starting to take shape. However, these draft picks were never enough, and Detroit’s playoff drought was not relieved by the youth movement. I’m beginning to sense a trend here.
The Yzerplan never took shape. In seven years with the organization, Yzerman’s Red Wings did not get to the playoffs, and only really got close once or twice. The Captain, Dylan Larkin, is ready for a change of scenery. The Red Wings are right back in hell. The question remains, was Yzerman to blame? Yes and no.
In Yzerman’s defense, the modern NHL is a weird place. Players want to play in very specific places: states with no state-income tax, states with warm weather, cup-contenders and their hometown. For Detroit, the last option is the only viable one for stars with total freedom in free agency. Don’t believe me? Take a look at Mitch Marner. The biggest free agent of the 2025 off-season had teams lining up around the block for his services.
He ended up in Las Vegas, a warm place with no state-income tax and a cup-caliber team. Marner had a messy divorce with the Maple Leafs, who play near his hometown. Marner’s decision is not one that lives in isolation, but that is a story for another day. What is relevant is that Steve Yzerman said in press conferences following the matter “In the case of Mitch Marner, we didn’t even get an opportunity to talk to [him]. There’s not much you can do about that”. Yzerman simply didn’t have a seat at the table.
Having a seat at the table is Yzerman’s strength. His stubborn approach and no-nonsense style is great for lowballing players into team-friendly contacts with favorable term. Look no further than Steven Stamkos, who famously got won over by Yzerman in 2016, as he resigned for a very stomachable $8.5 Million over eight years. Ironically, Stamkos actually considered Detroit during those negotiations.
However, when Yzerman didn’t have a seat at the table, or when he did not have the leverage in a situation, he folded into a stubborn old man. That sounds incredibly harsh, but Red Wings fans know all too well the feeling of absolutely nothing happening. This is where the majority of anger came from within Red Wings fans.
Yzerman never gave a true superstar their payday. Yzerman never took a risk on a talented player. Yzerman never tried to speed up the rebuild. Granted, if he had done those things, it could’ve blown up in his face. However, a team built on depth role-players and other team’s sloppy seconds just isn’t going to cut it in the modern NHL.
The draft has been good to Yzerman, but those picks should’ve been flipped for a bonafide star. Andrew Copp is a fine hockey player, but he should’ve never been the best center on the team (when Larkin was injured). Ben Chariot is the kind of defenseman most teams want, but he was never meant for the first line. I understand that fixing these issues is easier said than done, but seven years is long enough to hit a jackpot. Sadly, Yzerman simply chose not to play.
In a sentence, Yzerman was a victim of circumstances, but did nothing to alter those circumstances. To build a cup-contender, the team has to seem like a cup-contender. The GM has a responsibility to show their team and the league that they are putting in the effort to get good soon. Yzerman sat on his hands when the team got cold, and as a result, his seat got hot.
In the modern NHL, success is going to teams who have a “win now” mentality. Not just temporary success, but longevity. Vegas is a perfect example. The Golden Knights entire franchise history has been risky trades, cut-throat practices and acquiring star talent. They’ve missed the playoffs once in their nine year existence. In that time, Detroit has done the opposite.
Steve Yzerman’s Red Wings rebuild will ultimately be remembered for elite drafting but overly conservative roster management. While Detroit developed stars like Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider, the organization never acquired enough elite talent to end its playoff drought, making the rebuild one of the NHL’s biggest disappointments.
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