Alright, let’s get speculative, and play the ‘what-if’ game. First, this upcoming offseason is make it or break it for the Red Wings. If they acquire the talent they need to finally creep back into the NHL Playoffs, look for general manager Steve Yzerman and head coach Todd McLellan to stick around for at least another year, staving off any potential firing.
But if the Wings start slow again next season, it’s finished. Over. There’s no bouncing back for Yzerman or McLellan. At that point, Yzerman would’ve had plenty of time to get his act together and a slow start would signify that it didn’t happen. He’d be removed, and, in a way, it would probably tarnish his legacy some with the franchise he became a legend with.
Why? Because another slow start would mean Yzerman blew the offseason, even if he acquired the right talent that, on paper, would help dig the team out of the NHL’s doldrums. It would be an unforgivable sin for Wings fans, and even if ownership wanted to give Yzerman another chance, the fans would likely have the greatest say here.
There would be good news on the table if the Red Wings failed
It would be tough to see any new executive coming into Hockeytown and tearing apart some of the good things Yzerman built. No, there’s no star player in the Motor City, and that’s a problem. It’s a blemish on the team’s rebuild, and it’s why they’ve yet to make the playoffs.
But if Yzerman blew the offseason, got fired, and Todd McLellan also left, any new executive would at least hold this group together. There wouldn’t be a fire sale or anything like that, so don’t expect the Red Wings to set themselves back for (at least) another half-decade, because it ain’t happening.
So yes, you have permission to rejoice at the fact Lucas Raymond, Dylan Larkin (maybe), Moritz Seider, Simon Edvinsson, Sebastian Cossa, Marco Kasper, and so many more I haven’t named will still be in town. Instead, a botched offseason and a slow start would mean anyone walking in would have pieces in place to work with, and that’s a beautiful thing.
Failure? Maybe not in the traditional sense
Overall, if the Red Wings front office blew the offseason, expect changes, either at the owner’s discretion or pressure from the fans and media. But, if Yzerman were out as general manager, that new front office lead knows they’d have a chance to make an excellent first impression in front of those same fans and the media that just ousted his predecessor.
There will be no long, drawn-out rebuilding, and there could even be new life put into the Wings. Ideally, we’ll see Yzerman make all the right moves and everything will operate just fine. That would lead to a long-awaited playoff berth, but we’ll see what happens once December 1st rolls around, which is a good litmus test to see just how well Yzerman fared in the offseason.