Where did Yzerman go wrong with the rebuild?

[raymond23]

I didn't like the Hronek trade

But now we have ASP... just wait

 

[Gniwder]

Well it’s frustrating for me because I expected it to be a non-issue and right now it is very much an issue.

I also don’t think the contracts we passed on would have crippled us or anything like that. Despite how much people complain about Compher/Copp/Chiarot etc, we still are sitting pretty well cap wise in the long term.

It's funny how everyone complained about Kenny's shitty contracts like Helm and Abby, but when Stevie signs crappy contracts, it's ok because they'll expire eventually.

After this season, we still have:
- 2 more years of Copp
- 3 more years of Compher and Raz
- 1 more year of Tank, Chiarot, Holl and Gus

We're basically in the situation where we should be prepared to watch the same crap next season. That's a lot to ask for being 7 years into a rebuild (next season).

If the team is gonna suck anyways, Stevie should either buyout or bury those guys and bring Danielson, Lombardi, Mazur, and MBN up. Not sure about the D, the prospects aside from ASP don't give me much confidence.

 

[schuelma24]

It's funny how everyone complained about Kenny's shitty contracts like Helm and Abby, but when Stevie signs crappy contracts, it's ok because they'll expire eventually.

After this season, we still have:
- 2 more years of Copp
- 3 more years of Compher and Raz
- 1 more year of Tank, Chiarot, Holl and Gus

We're basically in the situation where we should be prepared to watch the same crap next season. That's a lot to ask for being 7 years into a rebuild (next season).

If the team is gonna suck anyways, Stevie should either buyout or bury those guys and bring Danielson, Lombardi, Mazur, and MBN up. Not sure about the D, the prospects aside from ASP don't give me much confidence.

Even with those contracts, he's going to have a ton of cap room this summer. No reason to have everyone back. Now, what he decides to do with that money on the other hand...

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

Well it’s frustrating for me because I expected it to be a non-issue and right now it is very much an issue.

I also don’t think the contracts we passed on would have crippled us or anything like that. Despite how much people complain about Compher/Copp/Chiarot etc, we still are sitting pretty well cap wise in the long term.

It's definitely frustrating. Honestly I think we all kinda sensed this year might be a step backwards. We're all ready for this team to be better and I think Yzerman's plan is to hold steady for a bit longer as the prospects develop. Then he starts (hopefully) taking bigger swings in the next few seasons.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

Even with those contracts, he's going to have a ton of cap room this summer. No reason to have everyone back. Now, what he decides to do with that money on the other hand...

Agreed.

And signing depth centers (disappointing as they are) when you have none is way different than handing out a 7 year deal to a peaking winger on a team that is overdue for a rebuild.

 

[The Zermanator]

Known stars
Seider
Raymond
Edvinsson

Still a bit early on Edvinsson but I think he's shown enough at his age, including in the NHL now, to project him as a special player. We would have been happy with him finding his footing and taking a 2nd pair spot by mid-season, we're a quarter of the way in and he's proven he can hold his own on a top pair. And finally another high quality D for Seider to play with. I don't think there'll be any debate about his placement here by season's end.

Very strong chance of becoming stars
ASP
Cossa

Good chance of being a valuable NHL player, possible more
Kasper
Danielson
MBN
Augustine

Plus there's about another half dozen to a dozen players who could become something as well, like Berggren, Buchelnikov, Wallinder, Plante, etc etc. And there are other players who still have a lot of good hockey years in them like Larkin and Debrincat.

To call this rebuild a failure is so extremely premature, especially when you consider that half of the fruits of this rebuild aren't even on the team yet. And doubly so since several of those fruits are absolutely killing it in lower leagues.

 

[Retire91]

If it was 3 years ago, fine. We were in the playoff hunt until the very last game of the season last year.

It is three years ago for all it matters if we get into the playoffs this year or last we get wrecked. Sure it's fun and would love it, it's not like I don't want it to happen. The point is this is not yet a team that would even know what to do with a playoff spot. Once a couple more of these players fill out the roster its a different story.

 

[Pavels Dog]

After this season, we still have:
- 2 more years of Copp
- 3 more years of Compher and Raz
- 1 more year of Tank, Chiarot, Holl and Gus

The good thing is that, despite rough starts to this season, the guys with 3 years left are clearly the best of that group. 1 year contracts aren't as concerning to me.
Copp is the biggest problem out of that bunch imo.

 

[Henkka]

Copp is only a caphit problem.

You replace him with a prospect, and we would be instantly worse.

He will live his contract trough, and then we move on.

 

[ShakenNotStirred]

I think it’s probably because none of them (save Johansson) are in the NHL yet.

But look at the other list of guys the team started with. Most of them are on there way out or playing in a lower league.

I understand the frustration some fans have with the progress but the hole this organization is digging itself out of is quite large.

Abby comes off the books this year? How long has he been gone and who gave him that contract?

 

[LongTimeDRWF]

But look at the other list of guys the team started with. Most of them are on there way out or playing in a lower league.

I understand the frustration some fans have with the progress but the hole this organization is digging itself out of is quite large.

Abby comes off the books this year? How long has he been gone and who gave him that contract?

Abby is off the books after next season 2025/26, Yamamoto comes off the end of this season.

 

[Snuggs]

Other team's buyout players and they're not excuses used six years in.

I agree about the rough start and bad hand in the begging but now Yzerman's marks are all over. Story is still there to be fully told. His guys are just now "arriving" that Yzerman drafted.

 

[wingsfannn919191]

Looking at next years ufa crop and it's pretty bad ... cant see marner and rantanen making it to free agency and imo I wouldnt give rantanen 14 mill

This isnt the nba where you can win with 4 guys making 55 mill and cant see rantanen coming here and posting 100 pts with this current lineup

On defense ekblad provorov pionk gavrikov chychrun are the main guys and Chychrun might be the only guy I'd look at but hes going to want big money

Think the way to go is through trades

Hague from vegas and miller from rangers are the 2 guys I target if they're to be had. Would fit perfect on the top 4 and are young and would be here longterm

Some others I'd look at

Zegras
Kakko
Cozens
Wright

I know most dont want zegras but I think he can bounce back to 65+ status and we need offense. Cozens I doubt hes available even though hes struggling but his name was out there

Kakko has been out there and probably most realistic. He can maybe be a 20+20 guy and I'd look at him. Wright I doubt hes available even though hes struggling and had heard his name mentioned in rumors. If he was I'd take a gamble on him


Some other guys I'd try and get from a team

Trevor Connelly ... if we can make a deal with vegas where they need to make a big move I'd target him

Lukas fischer .... reunite son and father,hes looking good and has the size,nhl Gene's... probably plays in the NHL

Issac Howard...probably wont happen cause hes on a division rival team but if we can, add him to join his teammates Augustine and savage

Sam colangelo ... big body from Anaheim, early 2nd rounder and productive in the AHL

kakko + miller or hague would be the move to make I'd think ... zebras would be a top 6 guy but cant see yzerman ever doing it

 

[wingsfannn919191]

Didnt know where to post this ... beyond embarrassing that this legend is still waiting. Its pathetic

 

[SoupNazi]

Didnt know where to post this ... beyond embarrassing that this legend is still waiting. Its pathetic

Sure seems relevant to the rebuild.

 

[dalem177]

Other team's buyout players and they're not excuses used six years in.

<laughs in Minnesota Wild Parese & Suter>

 

[wingsfannn919191]

Sure seems relevant to the rebuild.

Said I didnt know where to post this but ya thanks

 

[Kshahdoo]

Sure seems relevant to the rebuild.

They could hire him as head coach. He won 2 Gagarin Cups after all, and it's a lot more than some of NHL head coaches have achieved in their careers.

 

[Henkka]

So Yzerman has now promoted Raymond, Kasper, Berggren, Edvinsson, Seider, Johansson and Cossa.

 

[Retire91]

So Yzerman has now promoted Raymond, Kasper, Berggren, Edvinsson, Seider, Johansson and Cossa.

I feel like the roster is looking awesome. We already have players that should play their positions at a high caliber long term. ASP and Cossa look like they are on their way soon. There is a lot to like about Danielson, Michael Brandsegg-Nygård. There could also be a couple more surprises.

When the rebuild started I marked this time frame as "have a core to build around" and we have that. That is why I don't care about on ice or standings, the important part right now is simply locking in the talent we have.

We need at least 2 more players to hit but given the pipeline I'm optimistic. We are really only a season or 2 away from Yzerman starting to replace plugs with the real deal and we are even still a wildcard with this mishmosh roster.

Raymond - Larkin -
- - -
- Kasper -
- - -

Edvinsson - Seider
- -
- -

-
-

 

[TheOctopusKid]

....We need at least 2 more players to hit but given the pipeline I'm optimistic. We are really only a season or 2 away from Yzerman starting to replace plugs with the real deal and we are even still a wildcard with this mishmosh roster.....

I would add to your point here. We are excited but it's early on Axel Sandin-Pelikka who might be our undersized, offensive dynamo on the backend, and will most likely break in the next two years into the league (call the 2026 season).

A prospect that is often overlooked, is Anton Johansson, who is a RHD 6'4", smooth-skating, big shot, physical 20yo in his 2nd year at the SHL. Do I think he's going to be a game changer? Not really, but could we see him as a really good 3rd Pair RHD? Even projecting at the lower, more likely outcomes for Wallinder, Johansson, Johansson, - that still a really good, cheap, trio of 3rd pairing D.

So if we're looking at the start of the 2026 Season? Even conservatively what we have in the pipe:

Edvinsson (23) - Seider (25)
Al. Johnasson (25) - Sandin-Pelikka (21)
Wallinder (24) - An. Johansson (22)
Buium (23)

Now, I highly doubt that will be our 2026 starting six. I imagine he'll had a pretty decent FA/Trade D in there somewhere, but as for 7 out of our 8? - 6 of which are on cheap ass contracts and incredibly young? What they've done on the blue line is pretty excellent and we're not far off from seeing it pay off

 

[wingsfannn919191]

I feel like the roster is looking awesome. We already have players that should play their positions at a high caliber long term. ASP and Cossa look like they are on their way soon. There is a lot to like about Danielson, Michael Brandsegg-Nygård. There could also be a couple more surprises.

When the rebuild started I marked this time frame as "have a core to build around" and we have that. That is why I don't care about on ice or standings, the important part right now is simply locking in the talent we have.

We need at least 2 more players to hit but given the pipeline I'm optimistic. We are really only a season or 2 away from Yzerman starting to replace plugs with the real deal and we are even still a wildcard with this mishmosh roster.

Raymond - Larkin -
- - -
- Kasper -
- - -

Edvinsson - Seider
- -
- -

-
-

Someone else who sees it. That's basically the only guys on our current roster that will be here after their contracts end. Maybe Rasmussen if he takes a big paycut to be a 4th liner but cant see that happening and maybe berggren if he has a big season next year and prospects dont develop

But ya 3 years from now those are the only guys here right now that's likely to be here. That's why I'm all for dealing guys now and getting assets to use for the future . Deal debrincat and add a kandre miller or someone who'll be here longterm. Or target a nic hague from vegas

Move guys to get a top 4 pick,play some kids see what we have and retool in the off season with the assets acquired