The Detroit Red Wings find themselves at a crossroads this offseason. The fanbase has grown weary of a nearly decade-long rebuild, while other teams like the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens have pushed their rebuilds along much faster.
Except for the Buffalo Sabres and the Chicago Blackhawks, therefore Detroit Red Wings have been unable to translate stockpiling draft picks and prospects into a winning formula.
The hope was that when Steve Yzerman took over in 2019, the rebuild would go into overdrive and lead to the Red Wings returning to another period of consistent success and Stanley Cup glory.
But as the team continues to hang around the fringes of the Eastern Conference playoff race, questions abound regarding the team’s direction. The so-called “Yzerplan,” an articulated vision for the team’s development under Stever Yzerman, looks like it’s lost steam.
If that’s the case, how much longer will the organization tolerate further playoff futility? Will a 10th-straight playoff miss be enough for the organization to call an end to the Yzerplan?
If it were up to fans, the team would have already pivoted long ago
That’s precisely the point. It’s been almost a decade since the Red Wings played into the spring. The sour seasons have not yielded a number-one overall pick and have not given the team a franchise-altering superstar.
The closest the Red Wings have gotten to that was in 2020 when the club landed Lucas Raymond at No. 4. But there hasn’t been a Connor McDavid or Auston Matthews for the Red Wings. Unless the Red Wings can strike gold with the 13th overall pick this year, the Red Wings will have to be content with another solid, if unspectacular first-round pick.
What leaving the Yzerplan would mean for Detroit Red Wings
Ditching the Yzerplan would mean moving on from Steve Yzerman as the GM. It would resemble something akin to what the Toronto Maple Leafs did with Yzerman’s former teammate Brendan Shanahan and the so-called Shanaplan.
The Shanaplan led to a quick rebuild in Toronto, but the Leafs haven’t been able to get past the second round, including an 0-7 Game 7 record during that span.
The Leafs organization finally had enough after blowing a 2-0 series lead against the Florida Panthers in this year’s playoffs and bid Shanahan adieu. The organization turned the reigns over to GM Brad Treliving and coach Craig Berube.
If the Red Wings wanted to move on from the Yzerplan, that’s what it would look like. The Wings would need to move on from Yzerman, potentially promote someone from within as GM, and allow coach Todd McLellan to have more control over roster decisions.
Now, I’m not calling for the team to be overhauled yet again. What I’m advocating is for a new vision to mold the team, if that’s what the organization wants.
This shift may or may not include pursuing a top free agent like Mitch Marner. If that’s something a new administration is inclined to do, that’s fine. But the fact of the matter is that the Red Wings should not try to keep the status quo and simply throw money at the issue.
The Red Wings must ultimately determine if Steve Yzerman’s vision has the legs to take the Red Wings back to championship contention. In my estimation, if the Red Wings can’t take a significant step forward this upcoming season like the Senators and Habs did, it could be game over for the Yzerplan.