Starting a proper rebuild is like dealing with alcoholism- the first step is admitting you have a problem, but most teams aren't honest with themselves and let things get worse until they wake up in a ditch on the side of the road. Artificially trying to keep that playoff window open was Detroit's first mistake.
I really don't see what the Yzerplan is getting at. The reason some of these rebuilds take so long with little or no progress is because they don't also come with a team identity. I couldn't tell you what the Red Wings' is. They've been screwed by lottery luck, but you gotta take what you can get and get some guys in the later rounds that pan out. The development has been subpar with the young guys either not taking the next step or just flat out not being as good as expected. Finally, you can't just sign shiny new toys in free agency to fill roster spots, especially when they're expensive. Kane and Tarasenko need to be added later, and they need to fit in with that identity.
The reason the Devils got out of a lengthy rebuild is because they eventually checked off all of those boxes- build around the youth core, establish an identity as a fast team, and get vets who fit that mold. It hasn't been all perfect, and they had to retool with that identity this offseason, but it's safe to say that they are out of it. What steps have the Wings taken with any of that? The Yzerplan should have started with an identity and went from there.