What Happens To Steve Yzerman If Detroit Misses the Playoffs?
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet joined Gord Stellick and Scott Laughlin on Sirius XM NHL Network Radio Morning Skate on Wednesday and was asked about the future of Steve Yzerman as the General Manager of the Detroit Red Wings
NHLRumors.com Transcriptions
Some Players on the Detroit Red Wings Feel Steve Yzerman is Too Patient
Gord Stellick: ‘So one we can build on maybe next week. What about the Red Wings if they don’t make it again, and about whether it’s, I’m not trying to get people fired, but just, oh, go back at it next year versus, oh, my God, this is a disaster.”
Elliotte Friedman: “You remember that episode of cheers where Norm Peterson is firing everybody. That’s you right now. Well, first of all, I want to say I’m taking a vacation next week, so I’m not going to call.”
Scott Laughlin: “So don’t call you.”
Stellick: “Okay, okay.”
Friedman: “The homework is for two weeks. So the one thing. I’ve kind of heard that it’s really tough with Yzerman. He’s a great poker player. He doesn’t tip his hand. I have no doubt he’s hugely frustrated. Another loss night. The only good news was that everybody there lost. Like nobody around the bottom of the East won, except the Boston. So, I just think that it wasn’t as bad as it could be.
But, they really look tense. I think that’s probably the thing that drives Yzerman crazy as much as anything else, was that the bigger the stakes, the better he played, right? For Detroit, the bigger the stakes, it’s been harder on them.
Steve Yzerman Has To Be More Aggressive For Detroit Red Wings To Succeed
The one thing I’ve kind of wondered about, and I’ve heard a little bit of rumor to that fact, although he runs a pretty tight ship, as you know, is maybe, does he kind of give another person the GM chair and that allow that person to have more of an imprint on the organization?
Yzerman, he’s going to be 61 in May. That certainly doesn’t mean he’s incapable, but I’ll say this, I’ve always had great respect for the fact that he’s a grinder. Like he works hard, he does not cut corners. And I just wonder if maybe he would think about giving someone else a greater voice in the process, as opposed to doing both jobs himself.”
NHLRumors.com Note: The Detroit Red Wings continue to battle for the final card spot in the Eastern Conference. Another tough March with a record of 5-7-2, with some injuries to top players, including Dylan Larkin. This was a big year in Detroit, as going a decade without the playoffs is not a good look for an original six franchise.
There were chinks in the armor as Larkin called out Yzerman after not doing anything at last year’s trade deadline. His general manager came back and said they should not have needed help and that it was on the players to get the job done. That’s the type of competitor Yzerman is.
NHL Rumors: Washington Capitals, and the Detroit Red Wings
But sometimes morale is important. Yzerman brought in Todd McLellan to guide this group. However, you have to wonder how certain young players have been handled. Relying more on veterans while the rest of the league is getting younger.
Yzerman continues to reiterate his team is coming and still building, but if Detroit misses the playoffs again after just missing out in 2024 because of tiebreakers, people are going to wonder when the Red Wings are coming.
The playoffs are a must, and ownership may have to move Yzerman up or into another role, as it would be hard for them to fire him given what he did for the organization.
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