Yzerman Media Availability; July 4th (12:45)

[FMichael]

Lalonde thought 41 games of Chiarot-Seider was good and played Husso into the dirt at the beginning of the season even when he sucked. His eye test is shit and I have very little faith in him right now. Especially after hearing some rumors that hey lost the room late last year.

A poster on a Red Wings subreddit commented on how Walman became a problem in the locker room (poster didn’t mention who he knows on the Wings roster but

Yzerman has the patience of Kutuzov when the French invaded Russia.

I mentioned this several months ago, but Florida/Tampa/Boston/Toronto aren't going anywhere for the next few seasons. They're perennial playoff teams. Too much talent. At least three teams make the playoffs from the Metropolitan division. That means the Wings are only playing for one playoff spot. So are five or six other playoff contenders.

Not enough spots to fight over until we can break into the top 4 of the Atlantic.

I’ve said it before - we’re ’Minnesota Mediocrity’ territory… A good but not great team…Maybe we make the playoffs - maybe we don’t…If we do make the playoffs - expect a 1st round elimination.

 

[GMR]

A poster on a Red Wings subreddit commented on how Walman became a problem in the locker room (poster didn’t mention who he knows on the Wings roster but

I’ve said it before - we’re ’Minnesota Mediocrity’ territory… A good but not great team…Maybe we make the playoffs - maybe we don’t…If we do make the playoffs - expect a 1st round elimination.

At least Minnesota made the playoffs in the last nine seasons. We're not even them sadly.

 

[FMichael]

At least Minnesota made the playoffs in the last nine seasons. We're not even them sadly.

Have faith…

 

[GMR]

Have faith…

The night is dark and there's no playoffs.

 

[Ulysses31]

The night is dark and there's no playoffs.

GoT 1-3 perfect, rather just follow books n screw trying to end show etc

 

[Frk It]

What specifically were you expecting him to say? It is an Yzerman press conference, never a source for great commentary on the team.

I don’t think you should be able to give those types of replies forever. If you do, agree to disagree I guess.

 

[Pavels Dog]

I get that there are a lot of unknowns with the current state and future of this team.

But it is kind of crazy how he is allowed to just be so non committal when it comes to anything regarding the team, or the direction or timeline of the team.

I think he is being honest. There are a lot of unknowns. Sitting there and lying to hype up/comfort fans is how you end up with ”Rebuild over, time for unparallelled success” levels of comedy quotes to embarrass the franchise if it doesn’t work out that way.

How can Steve, or anyone, set a clear timeline without a metric ton of assumptions made about prospect development, veteran performances, coaching, chemistry, luck and timing?

 

[Frk It]

I think he is being honest. There are a lot of unknowns. Sitting there and lying to hype up/comfort fans is how you end up with ”Rebuild over, time for unparallelled success” levels of comedy quotes to embarrass the franchise if it doesn’t work out that way.

How can Steve, or anyone, set a clear timeline without a metric ton of assumptions made about prospect development, veteran performances, coaching, chemistry, luck and timing?

Everyone could take that cop out if they wanted. There are always unknowns.

Would it be that ballsy/crazy for him to say I expect this team to make the playoffs after we had 93 points last year and saw some good growth from Raymond and Seider? Or if not this year, I’d expect us to be a playoff team the year after and beyond.

Do you just expect the fans to sit here til whenever? Because that’s how I take these answers at this point in time.

 

[Run the Jewels]

Everyone could take that cop out if they wanted. There are always unknowns.

Would it be that ballsy/crazy for him to say I expect this team to make the playoffs after we had 93 points last year and saw some good growth from Raymond and Seider? Or if not this year, I’d expect us to be a playoff team the year after and beyond.

Do you just expect the fans to sit here til whenever? Because that’s how I take these answers at this point in time.

Actions speak louder than words. Here's what happened after Ottawa caved us in 6-2 and 6-1 on Feb 27-28, 2023.

3/1/23: Hronek traded
3/2/23: Bertuzzi traded
3/3/23: Vrana traded
3/3/23: Sunny traded

UFA acquisitions Summer 2023:
JT Compher
Justin Holl
Kostin
Gost
Sprong
Fischer

Most of these acquisitions were supposed to make the team more physical and difficult to play against. Unfortunately many of them were plugs. And you know what? The team would have made the playoffs if Husso could have stayed healthy.

Look at those moves. Those are the sign of a guy who was fed up and addressed what he saw when his team got their faces punched in by Ottawa.

 

[Frk It]

Actions speak louder than words. Here's what happened after Ottawa caved us in 6-2 and 6-1 on Feb 27-28, 2023.

3/1/23: Hronek traded
3/2/23: Bertuzzi traded
3/3/23: Vrana traded
3/3/23: Sunny traded

UFA acquisitions Summer 2023:
JT Compher
Justin Holl
Kostin
Gost
Sprong
Fischer

Most of these acquisitions were supposed to make the team more physical and difficult to play against. Unfortunately many of them were plugs. And you know what? The team would have made the playoffs if Husso could have stayed healthy.

Look at those moves. Those are the sign of a guy who was fed up and addressed what he saw when his team got their faces punched in by Ottawa.

I think being that reactive to 1 game is pretty stupid, but it might have been a catalyst for some things.

Main thing is I left last summer feeling like we for sure improved the team. It was a mix of good and not great signings, but it was pretty easy to see we got better.

This summer have we gotten better? Yeah I don’t know. And he’s not giving me confidence with what he’s saying either.

 

[Run the Jewels]

I think being that reactive to 1 game is pretty stupid, but it might have been a catalyst for some things.

Main thing is I left last summer feeling like we for sure improved the team. It was a mix of good and not great signings, but it was pretty easy to see we got better.

This summer have we gotten better? Yeah I don’t know. And he’s not giving me confidence with what he’s saying either.

It took Tampa 10 years to win a Cup from when Yzerman was announced as their GM. That was with Stamkos and Hedman in place, two cornerstone pieces. Edmonton finally played in a SCF 14 years after their first of 4 #1 OA picks.

Yzerman has been here for a little over 5 years. We should have made the playoffs last year if not for Husso being injured. We have one of the top prospect pools in the entire NHL. This s**t ain't easy, but we've improved by wins and point total every single year. I'm not sure what is the quick, easy way to get back on top, particularly when we don't have cornerstone pieces or several #1 OA picks. Yet we continue to improve each year.

Whatever, this isn't going to be productive. I've said all that I really have to say.

 

[Pavels Dog]

Would it be that ballsy/crazy for him to say I expect this team to make the playoffs after we had 93 points last year and saw some good growth from Raymond and Seider?

Why would he say it is the question? All he does is invite more criticism if they once again end up missing by like 1 point, which is very much in the cards.

Do you just expect the fans to sit here til whenever? Because that’s how I take these answers at this point in time.

I mean.. yeah? The fans remain and last season they were filling up LCA and loud as can be. They won’t go away because he makes vague statements in a summer media availability.

 

[norrisnick]

Why would he say it is the question? All he does is invite more criticism if they once again end up missing by like 1 point, which is very much in the cards.

I mean.. yeah? The fans remain and last season they were filling up LCA and loud as can be. They won’t go away because he makes vague statements in a summer media availability.

At times there is a disconnect between us fans here online and the fanbase as a whole. We are the noisiest of minorities possible. We're like that group of 2-3 families that comprise 99.999% of all complaints about the content on television.

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

I don’t think you should be able to give those types of replies forever. If you do, agree to disagree I guess.

What do you want him to say? Imagine he instead said: "I am trying to build a bona fide NHL playoff team capable of making the playoffs year-after-year and eventually competing for the cup. As I expected, it is taking a while and there will be more bumps in the road before I have this team where I want them. I will continue to use all available options to make the team better, but unfortunately little is in our unilateral control." Would that really make you feel better even if you knew deep down he was being honest?

 

[Frk It]

What do you want him to say? Imagine he instead said: "I am trying to build a bona fide NHL playoff team capable of making the playoffs year-after-year and eventually competing for the cup. As I expected, it is taking a while and there will be more bumps in the road before I have this team where I want them. I will continue to use all available options to make the team better, but unfortunately little is in our unilateral control." Would that really make you feel better even if you knew deep down he was being honest?

You don’t think he should have any kind of concrete timeline for us and it’s ok for him to give us the exact same answers to all these questions as he did at his introductory press conferences like 5 years ago? (Even after we finished with 93 points last year and just missed the playoffs)

Ok. I mean I guess it’s literally just what people are ok with or not ok with at this point. Our media certainly isn’t going to get him to do anything otherwise.

 

[dalem177]

Everyone could take that cop out if they wanted. There are always unknowns.

Would it be that ballsy/crazy for him to say I expect this team to make the playoffs after we had 93 points last year and saw some good growth from Raymond and Seider? Or if not this year, I’d expect us to be a playoff team the year after and beyond.

Do you just expect the fans to sit here til whenever? Because that’s how I take these answers at this point in time.

So you want the GM to lie to you just so you can hear something you like? If he doesn't expect it, he doesn't expect it, same as last season, Now, you tell me that they scrape into the playoffs (either last season or next) and he's telling the team and/or press after, say, a close loss of round 1 game 2 that it's no biggie - he never "expected them to be in that situation anyway"?

That's completely different. Between seasons it's mostly about setting expectations - it's a message mostly directed outwards to fans, press, even upper management and owners. "Here's what to expect." If the team is tired of hearing "we're just not good enough" and you get a fire lit in their bellies? Excellent.

But do you really think that a guy who essentially had his leg sawed in half so he could play on the 4th line at the close of his 22-year career with his effing team is sending TEAM-facing messages of "I have no expectations"? Really? Team-facing is about management and, yes, morale.

Maybe that makes me McCarty-esque, even though I don't have quite enough hair left for the pigtails, but man, some folks need to understand basic teams management.

Fan expectations? We're not on the team - we're butts-in-seats and die-hard fans and internet losers and weirdoes and normies - but we never hear what the team hears unless The Captain decides we should. But our "job" is to scream and dance and hope, to keep the team motivated.

What kind of fan base do you want us to be? Toronto?

 

[Oddbob]

A poster on a Red Wings subreddit commented on how Walman became a problem in the locker room (poster didn’t mention who he knows on the Wings roster but

I’ve said it before - we’re ’Minnesota Mediocrity’ territory… A good but not great team…Maybe we make the playoffs - maybe we don’t…If we do make the playoffs - expect a 1st round elimination.

I believe @sepster has inferred that when he got cleared from injury Walman elected to hold himself out of the lineup which bothered management. The way they spoke, was as if they know someone who actually knows inside stuff. Maybe they can clarify.

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

You don’t think he should have any kind of concrete timeline for us and it’s ok for him to give us the exact same answers to all these questions as he did at his introductory press conferences like 5 years ago? (Even after we finished with 93 points last year and just missed the playoffs)

Ok. I mean I guess it’s literally just what people are ok with or not ok with at this point. Our media certainly isn’t going to get him to do anything otherwise.

I don't need him to blow smoke up my ass and tell me that the plan is to make the playoffs this year. I can read a roster with my own eyes. If we had a more productive free agency period, perhaps he could say that in good faith. Also, just because we failed in free agency (and the early trade market) doesn't mean that he didn't try. I think Yzerman is the complete opposite of Country Club Ken Holland who wouldn't dare move a vet before a contract was up. I do think Yzerman tries to make things happen.

The roster and pipeline are what they are at this point, regardless of what he says. I guess I am more interested in his actions than his words. I also think as an executive that you can't set low expectations for your team publicly, hence why you hear language like we hope to play meaningful games in the late spring.

 

[Oddbob]

I think he is being honest. There are a lot of unknowns. Sitting there and lying to hype up/comfort fans is how you end up with ”Rebuild over, time for unparallelled success” levels of comedy quotes to embarrass the franchise if it doesn’t work out that way.

How can Steve, or anyone, set a clear timeline without a metric ton of assumptions made about prospect development, veteran performances, coaching, chemistry, luck and timing?

I don't care if he sets a timeline as I am a realist and it takes time. My issue is more I don't like that he can't be a little more forthright about things like the defence we have. If he is as good a GM as I and any believe I find it hard to believe he thinks we have even an ok blueline. Even if Ed steps up to 20 minutes a night and is good this season, the rest after Mo is below average at best and terrible for the most part. You don't expect him to crap on them, but he said he was good with the blueline, which even with the inclusion of Ed and Aljo is sorely lacking. To me making the playoffs is not a must this season, but if we miss, it needs to be because 2-5 kids not already in Detroit are the new main pieces helping out, and not vet guys and we still miss. Kids up and learning and we miss is acceptable to me, but not this more vet lead idea we seem to be doing.

 

[Frk It]

So you want the GM to lie to you just so you can hear something you like? If he doesn't expect it, he doesn't expect it, same as last season, Now, you tell me that they scrape into the playoffs (either last season or next) and he's telling the team and/or press after, say, a close loss of round 1 game 2 that it's no biggie - he never "expected them to be in that situation anyway"?

That's completely different. Between seasons it's mostly about setting expectations - it's a message mostly directed outwards to fans, press, even upper management and owners. "Here's what to expect." If the team is tired of hearing "we're just not good enough" and you get a fire lit in their bellies? Excellent.

But do you really think that a guy who essentially had his leg sawed in half so he could play on the 4th line at the close of his 22-year career with his effing team is sending TEAM-facing messages of "I have no expectations"? Really? Team-facing is about management and, yes, morale.

How I take these press conferences is he comes across as someone who feels like he has an infinite runway to do this and hopes it comes together at some point… but maybe it won’t.

Which in one respect is honest, but in another respect it doesn’t make me feel too great… no.

What kind of fan base do you want us to be? Toronto?

Nah you are going the whole other end of the spectrum with that.

I want some level of accountability. Seems like Detroit media doesn’t give a f*** about that in the least. Which is whatever.

 

[Oddbob]

I think being that reactive to 1 game is pretty stupid, but it might have been a catalyst for some things.

Main thing is I left last summer feeling like we for sure improved the team. It was a mix of good and not great signings, but it was pretty easy to see we got better.

This summer have we gotten better? Yeah I don’t know. And he’s not giving me confidence with what he’s saying either.

This is my feeling, I feel like we actually downgraded unless Ed smashes it out of the park, and/or Aljo is much better than we can expect him to be.

 

[norrisnick]

How I take these press conferences is he comes across as someone who feels like he has an infinite runway to do this and hopes it comes together at some point… by maybe it won’t.

Which in one respect is honest, but in another respect it doesn’t make me feel too great… no.


Nah you are going the whole other end of the spectrum with that.

I want some level of accountability. Seems like Detroit media doesn’t give a f*** about that in the least. Which is whatever.

Well prepare to not feel too great because:

1. I'm sure he feels he has as much runway as he feels he needs. He's not about to be fired.
and
2. He's not accountable to us.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

What do you want him to say? Imagine he instead said: "I am trying to build a bona fide NHL playoff team capable of making the playoffs year-after-year and eventually competing for the cup. As I expected, it is taking a while and there will be more bumps in the road before I have this team where I want them. I will continue to use all available options to make the team better, but unfortunately little is in our unilateral control." Would that really make you feel better even if you knew deep down he was being honest?

Honestly he’s basically said that very thing several times since he became GM.

 

[Pavels Dog]

I don't care if he sets a timeline as I am a realist and it takes time. My issue is more I don't like that he can't be a little more forthright about things like the defence we have. If he is as good a GM as I and any believe I find it hard to believe he thinks we have even an ok blueline. Even if Ed steps up to 20 minutes a night and is good this season, the rest after Mo is below average at best and terrible for the most part. You don't expect him to crap on them, but he said he was good with the blueline, which even with the inclusion of Ed and Aljo is sorely lacking. To me making the playoffs is not a must this season, but if we miss, it needs to be because 2-5 kids not already in Detroit are the new main pieces helping out, and not vet guys and we still miss. Kids up and learning and we miss is acceptable to me, but not this more vet lead idea we seem to be doing.

We are going into the season with something very close to the defense we had the last 14 games of the season. We had a .607 pts% in that stretch so it’s not crazy to think it’s okay, especially if both Mo and Ed continue to improve as players.

 

[Oddbob]

We are going into the season with something very close to the defense we had the last 14 games of the season. We had a .607 pts% in that stretch so it’s not crazy to think it’s okay, especially if both Mo and Ed continue to improve as players.

What is ok about it? Takeaway Mo and it would be considered a train wreck blueline. Ed may be good he may not, but Chiarot is only good if used in lower minutes and a better defence partner than himself. He was better last year, but he still was not that great. Holl and Petry are basically only useful if they play 12-15 minutes a night, which Petry plays way more than for some reason. Gus is a 5-6 at best who can play on the pp, and we have no clue really where Aljo will fit or what he will be at the NHL level. Maatta is good, but in a 3rd pair role. Mo is the only actual top 4 defenceman we have, as Chiarot is only a top 4 on weaker teams.