The best moves Steve Yzerman has made as the Detroit Red Wings GM
In 2019, Steve Yzerman made his return to Detroit after spending eight seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning as their General Manager. In his time in Tampa, Yzerman rebuilt the Lightning into a playoff and Stanley Cup contender, ending up making a Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 2015 and eventually winning back-to-back cups in 2020 and 2021. Although Yzerman had already returned to the Detroit Red Wings when Tampa won their cups, his fingerprints were all over the roster that was in place at the time.
So when “The Captain” returned to Detroit, the expectation was that he would be the immediate savior of the organization he helped bring three Stanley Cups to as a player and return them to their glory days. Yzerman quickly shot those expectations down and spoke numerous times about the fact that this rebuild would not happen overnight and would take years to accomplish.
Inheriting a team that finished the 2018-19 season 32-40-10 and missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season, Yzerman started the rehaul and rebuild of the roster. Whether it has been free agent signings, trades, draft picks, or coaching changes, Yzerman is beginning to leave his mark on the organization yet again.
Every General Manager has their good and bad moves and is met with the scrutiny that comes with these moves. Yzerman has been no exception to this, whether it be in his time in Tampa or back in Detroit.
Since returning to the Detroit Red Wings, what have been Steve Yzerman’s best moves?
When the Detroit Red Wings selected Moritz Seider.
In Yzerman’s first draft as Detroit Red Wings General Manager, he shocked the hockey community when he opted to take German defenseman Moritz Seider at number six overall in the 2019 draft. TSN’s Bob McKenzie ranked Seider as the #16 overall prospect and was not expected to go until the mid-teen to twenty spots of the first round.
This pick paid off big time for the Wings, with Seider proving that Yzerman had made the right choice and winning the Calder Trophy (rookie of the year) in 2022 (Detroit’s first winner since 1964/65). In his rookie season, the 21-year-old Seider put up seven goals (second among rookie defensemen), 43 assists (1st), and 50 points (1st) and also led all first-year players with 21 power-play points, four game-winning goals, 187 shots on goal and in ice time per game at 23:02.
The 6’4′ Seider has added grit to the defense for the Red Wings, along with the hopes that they have found their next franchise defenseman for the next ten or so years.
When the Detroit Red Wings traded, Nick Leddy, in turn, discovered Jake Walman.
In March of 2022, Yzerman swung a trade with the St. Louis Blues, sending defensemen Nick Leddy and Luke Witkowski to the Blues for forward Oskar Sundqvist and defenseman Jake Walman. Walman has proven to be the key piece of this trade, pairing up with Seider on the first pairing to create a solid 1-2 punch on the back end.
In his first season with the Detroit Red Wings in 2022/23, Walman played in 63 games, put up nine goals and nine assists for 18 points, and led the team in plus/minus at a plus 10. His contributions to the team have gone beyond the stat sheet, though, solidifying the defense and adding a little bit of flare and “swagger” as well.
In February, Walman was rewarded with a new three-year, $10.2 million contract. While Nick Leddy has enjoyed some success in St. Louis, he had fallen flat in Detroit, and adding the younger Walman has proven to be an excellent pick-up for the Wings.
When the Detroit Red Wings traded for Robby Fabbri.
Yzerman’s first move with the St. Louis Blues came in November of 2019, trading Jacob de la Rose forward for Robby Fabbri. Fabbri, a former first-round pick in his own right, had just come off a season where he played 32 games and only put up a total of 6 points for the Blues. But in his time in Detroit, he has played 166 games with 48 goals, 47 assists, and a total of 95 points. Of those points, 27 came on the power play (15 goals, 12 assists).
Fabbri has had the injury bug hit him the past couple of seasons, but when healthy, he adds value to the Red Wings lineup. On the flip side, de la Rose, since being traded to the Blues, played in only 47 total games, with a total of 6 points. de la Rose has not played in the NHL since the 2020/21 season.
Steve Yzerman has made a handful of moves that can be considered a major win and a positive impact on the organization. Add in the players and moves he completed this off-season, mixed in with the addition of head coach Derek Lalonde this last off-season, and there could be many more moves that can be added to this list.
Trending. Grading the 2023 offseason moves. light
Only time will tell what other moves Yzerman has up his sleeve that will get highly praised by the fans and the media to help continue the upward swing of the rebuild and the trajectory of the Detroit Red Wings organization that is trying to get back to being a perennial playoff and Stanley Cup contender once again.
Honorable mention: Alex DeBrincat, but he has yet to play a game in Detroit. Hopefully, he will be atop the list next season.