Where did Yzerman go wrong with the rebuild?

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Red Wings trade F Jonatan Berggren, LHD Eric Gustavsson, 2025 1st round and a 2026 5th round pick.

Penguins trade LHD Marcus Pettersson and their 2025 2nd round pick.



Red Wings trade F Michael Rasmussen, RHD Justin Holl, LHD William Wallinder and a 2025 3rd round pick.

Flyers trade RHD Rasmus Ristolainen.


Alex DeBrincat – (C) Dylan Larkin – Patrick Kane
(A) Andrew Copp – J.T. Compher – Lucas Raymond
Amadeus Lombardi – Marco Kasper – Vladimir Tarasenko
Christian Fischer – Joe Veleno – Carter Mazur

* Tyler Motte
* Austin Watson

Simon Edvinsson – Mortiz Seider
Marcus Pettersson – Rasmus Ristolainen
(A) Ben Chiarot – Albert Johansson
* Jeff Petry

Cam Talbot
Alex Lyon



Pettersson is a UFA at the end of the year, so you'll have a half season to see if he fits a try to resign.

Value for Pettersson isn’t bad and it’s probably around what they will get at the deadline for him, but I don’t think he’s the answer for this team.

Ristolainen has always been a hot pile of garbage. Not at all a good defenceman. He sucked in Buffalo. He sucked in Philly, he will most certainly suck in Detroit too.

I think this team needs a new voice before Stevie starts trading 1st round picks. Unless the 1st rounder is for another young player with term, or a sign in trade up for a player up front, I don’t think It’s the right way to spend the current assets.

That 1st round pick should be used next year (when I think the team will be closer to competing in the playoffs)

 

[Oddbob]

I don't think we should be giving up good futures for Marcus Pettersson. He is an ok guy, but he will also be getting too much as he will be UFA in a few months from now.

 

[Pavels Dog]

I think it's easier to win a championship with a patchwork defense vs a patchwork offense.

Honestly I would pretty strongly disagree. If there was significant truth to that statement we would without a doubt see Toronto and Edmonton consistently do better.

When Vegas won the cup their top 4 in icetime were Pietrangelo, Theodore, Martinez and McNabb. No forward above 19 minutes. Chandler Stephenson 3rd highest TOI among their forwards. If that isn't patchwork forwards I don't know.
I also feel like the reason Boston, Tampa etc. manage to keep rolling is because they have those pillars on the blueline. They manage to replace Bergeron with Zacha and become BETTER, could they do the same if they lost McAvoy? Doubtful imo.

 

[RedHawkDown]

Red Wings trade F Jonatan Berggren, LHD Eric Gustavsson, 2025 1st round and a 2026 5th round pick.

Penguins trade LHD Marcus Pettersson and their 2025 2nd round pick.



Red Wings trade F Michael Rasmussen, RHD Justin Holl, LHD William Wallinder and a 2025 3rd round pick.

Flyers trade RHD Rasmus Ristolainen.


Alex DeBrincat – (C) Dylan Larkin – Patrick Kane
(A) Andrew Copp – J.T. Compher – Lucas Raymond
Amadeus Lombardi – Marco Kasper – Vladimir Tarasenko
Christian Fischer – Joe Veleno – Carter Mazur

* Tyler Motte
* Austin Watson

Simon Edvinsson – Mortiz Seider
Marcus Pettersson – Rasmus Ristolainen
(A) Ben Chiarot – Albert Johansson
* Jeff Petry

Cam Talbot
Alex Lyon



Pettersson is a UFA at the end of the year, so you'll have a half season to see if he fits a try to resign.

I hate this so much I don’t even have words for it but I’ll try anyway

Risrolainen is legitimately worse than holl. That 2nd package is so bad , so so so bad.

Pettersson is not worth a 1st+. He’s a slightly rich mans Maatta. All you’ve done here is give up some depth for completely lateral moves and lost future while doing it.

 

[SirloinUB]

Ya Im not seeing much appeal in dudes like Pettersson or Ristolainen replacing Chairot, holl, and Petry.

Those are going to be marginal upgrades at a hefty price. pass.

 

[Nnowski]

Honestly I would pretty strongly disagree. If there was significant truth to that statement we would without a doubt see Toronto and Edmonton consistently do better.

When Vegas won the cup their top 4 in icetime were Pietrangelo, Theodore, Martinez and McNabb. No forward above 19 minutes. Chandler Stephenson 3rd highest TOI among their forwards. If that isn't patchwork forwards I don't know.
I also feel like the reason Boston, Tampa etc. manage to keep rolling is because they have those pillars on the blueline. They manage to replace Bergeron with Zacha and become BETTER, could they do the same if they lost McAvoy? Doubtful imo.

There have been 2 teams in the last 15 years to win the cup without a superstar forward in the Blues and Knights. Even though you could argue RoR and Eichel were almost that. You of course need good defense if you want to go anywhere consistently, but a solid defense is easier to put together than a forward group.

 

[Frk It]

There have been 2 teams in the last 15 years to win the cup without a superstar forward in the Blues and Knights. Even though you could argue RoR and Eichel were almost that. You of course need good defense if you want to go anywhere consistently, but a solid defense is easier to put together than a forward group.

The type of forward group you are talking about that would hypothetically carry a patchwork blue line is very very very hard to attain.

Like sure you can win with Crosby/Malkin and Letang and a bunch of guys on defense.

Good luck getting a Crosby or Malkin.

I don't see any value in comparing what we are building with teams who won 10 or 15 years ago. They had a different lottery system to work with. Not apples to apples.

 

[RedHawkDown]

The type of forward group you are talking about that would hypothetically carry a patchwork blue line is very very very hard to attain.

Like sure you can win with Crosby/Malkin and Letang and a bunch of guys on defense.

Good luck getting a Crosby or Malkin.

I don't see any value in comparing what we are building with teams who won 10 or 15 years ago. They had a different lottery system to work with. Not apples to apples.

The point he’s making is that even if it’s hard to obtain, it’s what works almost all of the time. Yes, Barkov/MacKinnon/Rantanen/Tkachuk/Kucherov/Ovechkin/Crosby/Kane are all very hard to obtain. But it also is extremely hard to win. That’s the point. Nobody is arguing that it’s easy. It’s just that almost all the teams that win have a forward of that caliber. Kopitar is also arguably at the same level given his defensive prowess, especially in the playoffs.

People are arguing that the wings did not maximize their chances to achieve a similar outcome. Not that tanking would have guaranteed it. Just that it would have raised the chances of an already extremely unlikely outcome over the roster we are building instead.