By Miguel Mike Medina
Photo Credit: Helene St James, Detroit Free Press
Detroit Red Wings executive vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman is a great ambassador for the game of hockey. He’s one of the most brilliant minds in sports. He’s no stranger to pressure. He knows he must deliver to bring the Red Wings back to the glory days.
Has Yzerman done enough this offseason for the Red Wings to compete for the Stanley Cup playoffs?
The Red Wings require additional support in scoring. They are lacking certain key pieces to compete effectively against other strong teams, such as the Ottawa Senators, Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, and others.
The competition is heavy, and they can’t worry so much about the difficulty of their schedule. Red Wings have to beat these good teams to be taken seriously.
Many believe he could be on the hot seat if the Red Wings don’t make the playoffs this season. Winning is hard. Building a championship team is hard. Yes, Edman can only do so much because he can’t be on the ice to perform. He needs to rely on the players to do that.
We must remember that Yzerman didn’t get the full credit he deserved as a player until he started winning the Stanley Cup. He also didn’t receive enough appreciation as a performer before he started winning. Still, after winning three Stanley Cup titles, he’s considered one of the best players of his generation and a great leader/captain overall.
The Ees Wings haven’t made the playoffs during Yzerman’s tenure as their executive Vice President and general manager. We have to see that he made some smart decisions this off-season.
Yzerman acquired veteran goalie John Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks. Although Gibson is hurt in his lower body, he can make an impact on this team when he’s healthy. Gibson finished the 2024-25 season with a .912 save percentage, which tied him for seventh in the NHL.
Yzermam also decided to bring back Patrick Kane to Detroit. The 36-year-old posted 59 points (21 goals, 38 assists) in 72 games last season. Kane spent most of his career playing for the Chicago Blackhawks and was responsible for winning three Stanley Cup championships (2010, 2013, 2015).
Kane has been a great blessing for the Red Wings. He brings leadership and championship experience to the organization, leaving a great impression and setting a strong example for the young players on the team. The Red Wings have veterans but are still developing young talent.
Overall, the Red Wings’ offseason moves have been average. It hadn’t been bad, but it hadn’t been impressive either. However, there needs to be some patience with Yzerman, and we need to see how this group will perform this season.
Yzerman should’ve been fired if the Red Wings had not made the playoffs, but it will surely be code red for the following season. The Red Wings have a lot more to do.
Is there anything the current roster can do this season to save or potentially save Yzerman’s job by making the playoffs?
Centre Dylan Larkin is one of the best players on the team. He had 70 points (30 goals, 40 assists) last season. Larkin might need to take it up a notch and aim for 80 points. Sometimes, a great player needs to do more to lead the team to more victories.
Alex DeBrincat and Larkin will need to be an offensive duo threat for the Red Wings this season. DeBrincat almost scored 40 goals in the previous season. If the Red Wings can find a way to have DeBrincat, Larkin, and Kane work together on the line, then we could see some positive results.
Kane doesn’t have the same foot speed as he did in his prime, but he doesn’t have to do too much on the ice. Since they’re younger players, he can be a good complementary piece to Larkin and DeBrincat.
Left-winger Carter Mazur would be interesting if he makes the Opening Day roster. The 23-year-old debuted with the Red Wings in March against the Utah Mammoth. Mazur has a lot of talent. If he stays healthy and consistent, we can see him play more games with the Red Wings this season.
The Red Wings need some spark, and Mazur could be the top prospect who can bring a lot of surprises. He had eight goals and seven assists in 20 games under the Red Wings’ AHL affiliate, Grand Rapids Griffins. Mazur has tremendous speed, which gives the impression that he could be a future fan favorite in Detroit.
Yzerman didn’t land a top marquee free agent this season, but he can redeem himself if his young core in the Red Wings system and his current best players on the roster can produce at a high level.
Miguel Mike Medina is the publisher of The MMM Journal. He can be reached at medinamiguelmike@gmail.com and themmmjournal@gmail.com
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