Anthony Di Marco of the Daily Faceoff joined TSN Radio in Montreal and was asked about why the plan in Detroit failed with Steve Yzerman as the General Manager of the Red Wings.
NHLRumors.com Transcriptions
NHL Rumors: Winnipeg Jets, and the Detroit Red Wings
Host: “Well, let’s dive in a little bit here with Steve Yzerman, and correct me if I’m not wrong. You’ve been very bullish about the job that Yzerman’s been doing, or not doing, in Detroit. And a couple of years of failure, and it’s hard to move on from such a legendary player when you’re the general manager and president, and now he’s going to be a consultant. It’s like we can’t fire him; we’ll keep him within the organization. But it wasn’t exactly as planned for Yzerman now that he’s done as GM.”
Anthony Di Marco: “Yeah, I think my first article I wrote criticizing the Yzerplan was back in December of 2024, and then I criticized them following the deadline of 2025. Then I started to get a bit more optimistic following last season, but then you saw them completely fall flat and once again do next to nothing at the trade deadline, aside from trading for Justin Faulk, who is a puck-moving power play defenseman. Was a little redundant given the fact that you already had Mo Seider not only on the back end but as a right shooting guy on that back end, and I think you see what they did in free agency and at the draft they did a whole lot of nothing.
You overpay Victor Arvidsson two years at $5 million per. You trade a former, what was it, 14th overall pick in Sebastian Cosaa for the 23rd overall pick this year to the Utah Mammoth. Just there, it has been a snail’s pace of progression for Steve Yzerman and the Detroit Red Wings, and I think, amateur scouting-wise, led by AGM Kris Draper, has done a really nice job, and picking always outside the top three.
Who Will Replace Steve Yzerman in Detroit as General Manager?
Lucas Raymond, great pick. Simon Edvinsson, great pick. Moritz Seider, great pick. The goaltenders, Cossa and Trey Augustine, great pick, and they’ve developed well with their AHL team that’s managed by Shawn Horcoff done excellently.
But then you look at the pro scouting: the guys that they brought in to kind of support these younger pieces, with Andrew Copp and Ben Chiarot, Justin Holl, J.T. Compher. Maybe Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat were good adds, but you know didn’t move the needle all that much.
You’ve had a rotating cast between the pipes, finally kind of solidifying that with John Gibson last year, but before that, the likes of Cam Talbot and Ville Husso and whatnot. And I just think that eight years in, it is simply not good enough. Or I guess seven years in, it has not been good enough for the Detroit Red Wings. And eventually, I think Yzerman’s stubbornness kind of landed him here.
The Timing of the Steve Yzerman Announcement in Detroit is Odd
But to your point, Sean, it’s hard to fire a guy like Steve Yzerman. Maybe it was hard for the Canadiens to fire Bob Gainey all those years ago. But I think this was a quiet, polite, respectful way of saying, you know what, you’re no longer a hockey guy. You’re an advisor, but to the owner, not the team.”
NHLRumors.com Note: As the Red Wings continue to look for their general manager, Steve Yzerman’s tenure in Detroit will be looked at as a failure because the team never reached the playoffs. Detroit took steps backward following a season tied for points with the Washington Capitals in 2024, but missed the playoffs due to a standings tiebreaker. But instead of making progress, the Red Wings took steps backward.
What is interesting is that ownership didn’t go to Yzerman earlier to suggest that he step down or step up after the season and allow him and his staff to handle the draft and free agency. One of the final straws was his handling of the Dylan Larkin trade request, saying there were no guarantees he could honour the teams he put forth in his request.
NHL Rumors: Now What for Dylan Larkin and the Detroit Red Wings?
But as we have mentioned previously, when it came to Yzerman’s job, it is hard to fire a Hall of Fame player who has done so much for the organization. Unfortunately, change was needed in Detroit for the Red Wings to show progress. While the AHL is showing progress, the NHL team isn’t, and some players feel that those in the minors need to be up.
Again, how many GMs in the NHL get seven years or more to improve a team and miss the playoffs?
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