Where did Yzerman go wrong with the rebuild?

[TheOctopusKid]

True. But its bad now and makes it hard to trust the money we’re going to spend moving forward

Allow me to postulate two thoughts:

1. The FA's that the team has targeted have been specifically to buffer the transition to the core prospect, so character, professionalism, and term became the requirements, and not their ability to help us win or be part of a longer term solution.

2. Any free agent of any note or value, hasn't considered Detroit as a destination unless there was either a pre-existing connection (Motte, Debrincat, Compher, Copp), they were looking for a short term 'prove-it' deal to increase their market value (Suter, Kubalik, Kane, Ghost, etc.) or we were their last real option to make any real money / role that matters (Sprong, Tarasenko, Petry).

I honestly believe the only actual free agents who had choices and turned down comparable opportunity/money that without Michigan ties are Chiarot and Holl, and both of them have been super mediocre. Long are the days where we are a destination for FA's looking to win, or play with a veteran laden, playoff machine, etc.

I think he will spend the money just fine when the core is set, and he needs to zero in on a top end free agent who is also showing mutual interest. Till then, we don't really get the pick of the liter.

 

[RabidBadger]

Edit: disregard.

 

[RabidBadger]

Imagine this team with Necas and Hughes

We probably don’t have Mo/Lucas but I’m still salty over those drafts

I'm not so sure about that. Retooling the defense seemed to be the priority when Stevie took over. If anything, ASP might be the odd man out if you already have a puck mover like Hughes and you have Mo and Ed in the system.

I'm not quite as sure about Ray, but he seemed the obvious choice at the time. I remember @Frk It and @Hen Kolland beating the drum very early on for him.

 

[Ulysses31]

interesting thought, over this season and last team has a better record without Kane dressed.

not saying Kane a net loss or is a bad player but i think roster may not match style lalonda trying to implement.

 

[Oddbob]

Kyle Davidson in Chicago will lol


Has anyone here ever considered that BrisBois was the talent in TB and not Yzerman ?

Watch a TB game. Hagel is a star and the two kids (Moser and Geekie) they got for Sergashev are really good and cheap. BrisBois won that trade by a landslide. Just saying.

JB also gave 1st-5th round picks and a player for Tanner Jeannot. Then after 1 season traded Jeannot for 3rd and 5th round picks. Essentially losing 3 picks for nothing. Every GM can hit and miss.

Proper rebuilds don't take six years just to get back to the playoffs, especially when the supposed best GM in hockey was hired. Also, the draft isn't the only way to accumulate talent.

This isn't difficult to understand. You're free to continue to have blind faith and continue to kick the can down the road - the rest of us who operate in the here and now are more than justified in being fed up and out of patience.

More than one has asked for all these examples and you never give any.

 

[Gniwder]

If Stevie waived the entire team tomorrow, how many players would get claimed?

Forwards: DBC, Ray, Larkin, Kane, Kasper, Burger
Defense: Ed and Mo
Goalies: Both because Lyon is cheap

Half the roster...

How did Stevie manage to accumulate so much garbage?

 

[Hockeyfan2390]

More than one has asked for all these examples and you never give any.

Must have missed when all these other NHL teams hired the supposed best GM in the game. Can you point those teams out?

Oh, and the Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken didn’t even exist the last time Detroit made the playoffs - and both have made runs, with one title.

 

[Zetterberg4Captain]

W/o moving the goal posts, I'm not sure how often franchises complete a total rebuild in under 6 years(LA made playoffs in year 7 and won cup in year 9)..

That said, I also don't know of any successful rebuilds in which the team was still looking to draft in the lottery range during year six of their total rebuild either...

 

[Henkka]

At some point of the season,

Trade:

- Kane for a 2nd
- Lyon for 4th
- Fischer for 5th
- Motte for 6th

All pending UFAs.

Promote:
- Mazur
- Cossa
- Söderblom
- Wallinder

Scratch Petry for Wallinder.

Extra 1st is tough to get, but after this we would have double picks at ever round, because there was already a 3rd get for Määttä and 7th for Vrana.

 

[cvaicunas]

Obviously by experts, who thought Copp is going to be 60-65 point player with Red Wings and long term solution for second C

So the one or two posters who had a few too many drinks on the first day of FA? We're beating a dead horse here when I say this, but that signing was not loved by all, and many that did like it, viewed it as a short term stop gap for C prospects to filter into the lineup. Same posters agreed the contract was not great, that it would likely not age incredibly well as he fell down the lineup, but that the cap going up, would negate some of those issues.

 

[wingsfannn919191]

Oilers are a disaster right now and no where near true cup contenders ... might as well do a huge deal with them and try and land their 2026 1st in the deal

Maybe get jeff skinner in the deal who's on the 4th line and seems to only perform on garbage teams ... hes a perfect fit for us lmaoo ... seriously maybe he can score with us so we can flip him at the deadline

I dont know what the deal would be but it's obvious we suck and it's better longterm to play more kids and add a top 5 pick and a 2026 1st and whatever assets we can also add that we can use to go after a kakko,zegras or other young kids ... time to take out the trash

Id have to check rosters and $ but Off the top of my head something like

2026 1st + skinner + kulak + pickard

For

Tarasenko 50% retained + Lyon +veleno+ gustafsson

Anyways like I said it's time to start dumping some bodies

 

[Pavels Dog]

That said, I also don't know of any successful rebuilds in which the team was still looking to draft in the lottery range during year six of their total rebuild either...

Colorado drafted Landeskog in 2011, 6 years later they bottomed out and drafted Makar.

 

[Zetterberg4Captain]

Colorado drafted Landeskog in 2011, 6 years later they bottomed out and drafted Makar.

Didn't they make the playoffs in 2014?

 

[schuelma24]

Promote:
- Mazur
- Cossa
- Söderblom
- Wallinder

Scratch Petry for Wallinder.

Extra 1st is tough to get, but after this we would have double picks at ever round, because there was already a 3rd get for Määttä and 7th for Vrana.

Mazur is out long term it looks like and there's little evidence Wallinder is ready. I'd prefer to just keep a good thing going in GR right now and not totally ruin all of them with this mess.

 

[cvaicunas]

I was expecting some regression this year, but not the low quality shit show we have been seeing so far.
I was expecting him to bring in at least one quality Dman this year, not the low quality shit show we've been running the last few years.

Even having expected a step back, this has been horrible to watch thus far. If it goes on much longer just keep the current coaching staff and ride this shit show to the best draft position we can get (minus the one or two positions we slip back after better teams jump us in the lottery).

Yea I think Yzerman does just run this out for the season. This team picks up a few injuries, goaltending wanes a little, and the PP slows down, and we're cooked all the way

 

[TKB]

Mazur is out long term it looks like and there's little evidence Wallinder is ready. I'd prefer to just keep a good thing going in GR right now and not totally ruin all of them with this mess.

I don't think I want to bring anyone else into this shit show until maybe post trade deadline. Wallinder has apparently been injured as well, though not sure what the issue is. He seems to have had some good reviews when he's played, but he still needs to play in GR as far as I have read.

ALJo should be getting a chance to get acclimated, however.

 

[RED WINGS STOMP]

AlJo's situation is another negative mark on the org's handling of the blue line this year.

He probably needs to go down and figure some things out, but they can't send him down because they burnt up his entire elc in GR and is no longer waiver exempt.

So now you have a case of a young player who can't get time with the big club because he has struggled and cant play in GR for fear of losing him.

Slow playing prospects has it down sides and this is a clear example.

 

[JohanFranzenstein]

Also, even if this team falls off a cliff, sells off everyone, and wins the lottery, are we one rookie James Hagens from making a playoff push? Would Steve or any gm for that matter throw 5 more rookies (Mazur, Danielson, MBN, ASP, Cossa) on the roster with him? That's a large chunk of unproven talent to be playing for one team at the NHL level.

 

[RED WINGS STOMP]

Also, even if this team falls off a cliff, sells off everyone, and wins the lottery, are we one rookie James Hagens from making a playoff push? Would Steve or any gm for that matter throw 5 more rookies (Mazur, Danielson, MBN, ASP, Cossa) on the roster with him? That's a large chunk of unproven talent to be playing for one team at the NHL level.

A lot depends on what is done with the blue line in the offseason. The Wings have two guys that you can build around, but some quality vet presence is needed and bad vet presence has to go.

Shea Theodore getting extended was bad for the Wings. Jacob Chychrun should get a call from Stevie the second UFA starts. What trades can Steve pull off? Feels like his trade game plan fell apart on him last offseason and we are stuck with our current mess that Lalonde is also mismanging.

I feel their is more hope for the forward group right now. Larkin, DeBrincat and Raymond can take the heavy load while young guys build up confidence. We are severely lacking that with the d corps. We need two vets that can pair up with Mo and Simon and give us a more complete unit.

 

[wingsfannn919191]

Also, even if this team falls off a cliff, sells off everyone, and wins the lottery, are we one rookie James Hagens from making a playoff push? Would Steve or any gm for that matter throw 5 more rookies (Mazur, Danielson, MBN, ASP, Cossa) on the roster with him? That's a large chunk of unproven talent to be playing for one team at the NHL level.

This is yzermans fault . I been saying forever that he should be throwing in a kid or 2 to gain experience yearly

I dont know if hagens will be ready or not for some reason I see him not being strong enough and needing time. I like Schaeffer atm and he only turns 18 next Sept I believe

I dont think nygard makes it next season and will probably make him wait a year. Pellika and danielson might make it,cossa isnt a problem since he'll be a tandem guy and you forgot buchelnikov as a possibility

I'd have np going that route heyyyy if we struggle the year the kids are getting NHL experience the same draft as mckenna Its not the worst thing in the world

 

[wingsfannn919191]

Cbj gm said theyll handle jiricek next few days ... trade??

Plante + johanson + 2nd 2025

 

[cvaicunas]

AlJo's situation is another negative mark on the org's handling of the blue line this year.

He probably needs to go down and figure some things out, but they can't send him down because they burnt up his entire elc in GR and is no longer waiver exempt.

So now you have a case of a young player who can't get time with the big club because he has struggled and cant play in GR for fear of losing him.

Slow playing prospects has it down sides and this is a clear example.

The games I have seen AlJO has looked good in sheltered minutes. The bad I have seen has been related to his inability to be physical enough in the corners. You can say they mishandled him during his ELC years, or perhaps the team hoped he would continue to gain size and strength in the minors. Perhaps it ends up being a deficiency he can't overcome at the NHL level. Doesn't necessarily dictate the team mishandled the prospect.

 

[TheOctopusKid]

Cbj gm said theyll handle jiricek next few days ... trade??

Plante + johanson + 2nd 2025

This is a 20yo, 6'3 200LBs RHD who was drafted 6OA 2 years ago and has already put up points in the NHL. And the NHL club has his rights on an ELC for years with zero season expectations right now.

He's not going for (insert B level assets) - This conversation starts a Marco Kasper +

 

[SantosHalper]

Slow playing prospects has it down sides and this is a clear example.

I disagree, more like AlJo was signed too soon. The Org wised up when they dealt with Wallinder and signed him in March 2023, two and half years later after he was drafted.

 

[Winger98]

If you're dealing for Jiracek, you're also dealing ASP somewhere else because you only have so much room on the right side. Personally, I'd keep ASP and spend assets elsewhere.