What do you think of the team?

[jkutswings]

i agree, but the assets you're willing to give up won't return the players you want them to

I won't dispute that we have underperformed in the 2nd round for a while, but you still need to find the right trade for the right player. I absolutely would not advocate moving the picks simply to move picks. Nor do I think we should be afraid to make them if we can't find a suitable trade. The further we get along in this rebuild, the more picks I expect to see moved so I do think you will get your wish at some point.

Nobody is asking to throw away picks or make trades just for the sake of it. But every year decent moves are made by other teams with manageable price tags.

DISCLAIMER: I am not advocating for ANY of the specific players listed below. This is just a sampling of the last 3 trade deadlines to indicate the ballpark of the TIER of player (bolded, talent level at the time of the trade) I would pursue, with actual price tags included in the trades made.

2021-22:
* Red Wings get Jake Walman, Oskar Sundqvist, and a 2nd rounder in 2023. Blues get Nick Leddy and Luke Witkowski.

2022-23:
* Bruins get Tyler Bertuzzi. Red Wings get a conditional 1st rounder in 2024 and a 4th rounder in 2025.
* Penguins get Mikael Granlund. Predators get a 2nd rounder in 2023.
* Senators get Jakob Chychrun. Coyotes get a 1st rounder in 2023, a 2nd rounder in 2024, and a 2nd rounder in 2026.

2023-24:
* Golden Knights get Tomas Hertl, a 3rd rounder in 2025, and a 3rd rounder in 2027. Sharks get David Edstrom and a 1st rounder in 2025.
* Hurricanes get Jake Guentzel and Ty Smith. Penguins get Michael Bunting, Vasily Ponomarev, Ville Koivunen, the rights to Cruz Lucius, a conditional 1st rounder in 2024 and a conditional 5th rounder in 2024.
* Golden Knights get Noah Hanifin. Flames get a 1st rounder in 2025, Daniil Miromanov, and a conditional 3rd rounder in 2025. Flyers get a 5th rounder in 2024.
* Canucks get Elias Lindholm. Flames get Andrei Kuzmenko, the rights to Hunter Brzustewicz and Joni Jurmo, a 1st rounder in 2024 and a conditional pick in 2024.

Plus Karlsson and Debrincat were traded during the previous off season (each a special case, but these things can and do happen when teams are hunting for it).

My point is that Detroit should be shopping for reasonable additions, and it is absolutely possible to go after a defenseman resembling a Hanifin or a Chychrun without emptying the cupboard. Same goes for a forward like a Lindholm or a Guentzel. (Yes, the younger the targeted player, the more the price will increase. But if Detroit finds a good but not elite player in their mid- to late-twenties, it's not going to cost either 5 first rounders or every single prospect we care about.)

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

Nobody is asking to throw away picks or make trades just for the sake of it. But every year decent moves are made by other teams with manageable price tags.

DISCLAIMER: I am not advocating for ANY of the specific players listed below. This is just a sampling of the last 3 trade deadlines to indicate the ballpark of the TIER of player (bolded, talent level at the time of the trade) I would pursue, with actual price tags included in the trades made.

2021-22:
* Red Wings get Jake Walman, Oskar Sundqvist, and a 2nd rounder in 2023. Blues get Nick Leddy and Luke Witkowski.

2022-23:
* Bruins get Tyler Bertuzzi. Red Wings get a conditional 1st rounder in 2024 and a 4th rounder in 2025.
* Penguins get Mikael Granlund. Predators get a 2nd rounder in 2023.
* Senators get Jakob Chychrun. Coyotes get a 1st rounder in 2023, a 2nd rounder in 2024, and a 2nd rounder in 2026.

2023-24:
* Golden Knights get Tomas Hertl, a 3rd rounder in 2025, and a 3rd rounder in 2027. Sharks get David Edstrom and a 1st rounder in 2025.
* Hurricanes get Jake Guentzel and Ty Smith. Penguins get Michael Bunting, Vasily Ponomarev, Ville Koivunen, the rights to Cruz Lucius, a conditional 1st rounder in 2024 and a conditional 5th rounder in 2024.
* Golden Knights get Noah Hanifin. Flames get a 1st rounder in 2025, Daniil Miromanov, and a conditional 3rd rounder in 2025. Flyers get a 5th rounder in 2024.
* Canucks get Elias Lindholm. Flames get Andrei Kuzmenko, the rights to Hunter Brzustewicz and Joni Jurmo, a 1st rounder in 2024 and a conditional pick in 2024.

Plus Karlsson and Debrincat were traded during the previous off season (each a special case, but these things can and do happen when teams are hunting for it).

My point is that Detroit should be shopping for reasonable additions, and it is absolutely possible to go after a defenseman resembling a Hanifin or a Chychrun without emptying the cupboard. Same goes for a forward like a Lindholm or a Guentzel. (Yes, the younger the targeted player, the more the price will increase. But if Detroit finds a good but not elite player in their mid- to late-twenties, it's not going to cost either 5 first rounders or every single prospect we care about.)

We should always be looking to improve the roster through trades. That is hardly a hot take. Unfortunately, most of those guys you listed were pending UFAs at the time of those trades. I don't think it is nearly as easy as you think it is.

 

[jkutswings]

We should always be looking to improve the roster through trades. That is hardly a hot take. Unfortunately, most of those guys you listed were pending UFAs at the time of those trades. I don't think it is nearly as easy as you think it is.

I said, "Detroit should be shopping for reasonable additions, and it is absolutely possible to go after a defenseman resembling a Hanifin or a Chychrun without emptying the cupboard. Same goes for a forward like a Lindholm or a Guentzel."

Should + absolutely possible <> easy.
But Yzerman isn't paid to do what's easy.

Barring something crazy - like multiple prospects in the minors hit another stratosphere in the next two months and look ready for the NHL next year - I think it's absolutely fair to consider it a disappointment if Yzerman does not land at least one quality long term player from outside the organization prior to the start of next season.

 

[Coach Reggie Dunlop]

I love the pieces we have in place, I still think we are one young dman and young forward trade away from being a wagon. We’ve got the supporting prospects, we have the high end talented budding superstars in Raymond seider and edvinsson, obviously I can be hard on guys like copp and Chiarot etc but they won’t be here long term and seem fine for now. As I said in the beginning of the season, this roster isn’t great, but it was no where near as bad as they were playing. It’s clear Lalonde had us going in the wrong direction for sure.

 

[norrisnick]

Yzerman probably wants to land one more piece more than anyone of us want to. The right opportunity doesn't always present itself. Trades made by other teams aren't always available for us. Remember when Columbus wanted Fippula+ for Fedorov in '08? Caps got him for Ted Ruth. Who you say? Exactly.