Like it or not, NHL free agency, which often lasts just a couple of days for the most part, came, and Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman brought in nothing more than supplementary players. Some fans will undoubtedly be critical of the lack of moves while others will nod in agreement.
As for me? I wanted to see more, especially after the John Gibson trade. I even thought we'd see more. But, Yzerman refused to deviate, despite making a couple of nice pickups with Jacob Bernard-Docker and James van Riemsdyk.
Disappointment for sure, but a whole lotta respect. That said, I'm giving Yzerman some credit here and no, this ain't sarcasm. Regardless of how much pressure he may face from a contingent of fans and media, regardless of how much criticism he gets, Yzerman won't back down. And that takes a lot.
Yeah, it may cost him his job if the Wings once again go without another playoff berth. But credit the guy for never once going into panic mode. That tells me a lot about Steve Yzerman, and what it means for his insistence to see the Yzerplan through, and you can't help but respect that.
I'll keep being critical of Yzerman, but not out of lack of respect
You can't help but respect an executive who continually sticks to their plan and does so to perfection. No, not with the on-ice results; that would be shortsighted. Perfection as in, keeping everything in line and doing only what's necessry to advance this long, drawn-out rebuild without deviation.
My philosophy is simple: Use the draft to build your core. But, once you're in contention at the trade deadline, start making those bigger moves and add more talent to your team so you can make the playoffs.
This is where the Yzerplan and a Matthewsplan become a Venn diagram. I would've been making bigger trades right now, or trying for bigger signings to push the Red Wings past that playoff barrier. Yzerman obviously doesn't see it that way, but if it leads to a playoff berth this season, then nobody's remembering the late-season meltdowns of 2024 and 2025.
Instead, they'll say, "You know what, Yzerman was right the entire time." Heck, I'll be saying the same thing.
Free agency could not have gone better for Steve Yzerman
So, what do you do if you're Yzerman and you're relentlessly sticking to your plan? Sign replacements for a coupele of failed players and roll the dice. That's where James van Riemsdyk and Jacob Bernard-Docker come in.
van Riemsdyk's the obvious replacement for Vladimir Tarasenko, who Yzerman couldn't get rid of fast enough. As for Bernard-Docker, he'll step in for Justin Holl and Erik Gustafsson. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like those two are going anywhere, but it doesn't mean Bernard-Docker can't push them both from full-time roles and into part-time roles.
That said, Yzerman didn't make any big moves. But I'd be lying if I claimed he didn't upgrade the team. Should everyone stay healthy, there's a much better chance the Red Wings are going to be in better shape for 2025-26.
No, they won't be a top-three team in the Atlantic unless they surprise everyone. But they will contend for a wild card halfway into April, guaranteed. Yeah, it could've been more with a couple of big moves, but they'll contend, and maybe finally break that playoff curse.
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