NHL analyst Steve Dangle believes the Detroit Red Wings should fire general manager Steve Yzerman, and should’ve years ago.
Yzerman has been the Red Wings’ general manager since April 2019. However, under his tenure, the team hasn’t made the playoffs once, and he has made some questionable moves.
After Detroit failed to make the playoffs again, Dangle believes the Red Wings need to move on from Yzerman.
“Steve Yzerman should have been fired two years ago, but his name is Steve Yzerman,” Dangle said on the SDPN podcast. “Look at Ottawa in the playoffs. Why isn’t that us? Look at Montreal in the playoffs, and why isn’t that us? Look at Detroit right now and say ‘How could that be us?’ Stevie Y has to go. Why did you attach a second-round pick to get rid of a good player (Jake Walman). And (then) less than a year later, in a season where he was injured, he got traded for a first-round pick?”
Yet, as Dangle points out, Yzerman has a big name in Detroit and is considered a legend, which likely is the reason why he hasn’t been fired.
Yzerman played his entire NHL career with the Red Wings, helping them win three Stanley Cups. But, Dangle believes he should be fired due to Detroit still not being a playoff team and the questionable moves he’s made.
Red Wings GM Has Confidence in What He’s Building
Although Dangle believes Detroit should fire Yzerman, the general manager has confidence in himself and what he’s building.
The Red Wings haven’t made the playoffs in nine years. But, Yzerman believes he has a special group that can contend very soon.
“We’re trying to draft good, young men who are talented, young players that eventually become a very good team,” Yzerman said at his year-end press conference. “I think we’re on the right path to that, I look around our locker room. Led by Dylan Larkin and Alex DeBrincat. I say those two probably because they are two of our leading scorers who can be here for a long time. Then all the way down through Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond, Marco Kasper, Albert Johansson and all these young players.
“We’re building a nucleus of a good team with the idea that this team is going to win. I don’t measure success by making the playoffs one year and bowing out the next year,” Yzerman added. “I consider it being continued success. That you’re in and expected to be in the playoffs, you’re trying to win, and aiming for Stanley Cups. That’s what we’re trying to do here.”
Yzerman will look to add to the roster in the offseason to help Detroit be a legit Cup contender next season.
Yzerman Disappointed Red Wings Failed to Make Playoffs
Detroit entered the season with a goal of making the playoffs, yet that didn’t happen.
After the Red Wings failed to make the playoffs for the ninth straight season, Yzerman admitted he was disappointed in the year.
“At the start of the year, we felt we could compete for a playoff spot,” Yzerman said. “Once again, when we made the coaching change, I was asked that same question and we felt even though where we were in the standings, that we could compete for a playoff spot. Ultimately, we did compete for a playoff spot. We did not obviously make the playoffs, which is a disappointment for us all.”
Yzerman will now look to improve the roster this offseason. The Red Wings have just over $21 million in cap space. And Yzerman is open to spending big on a star player.
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