As the NHL draft enters its final few rounds, the attention of front offices and fans shifts towards the rest of the offseason. With free agency set to open on Tuesday, fans and analysts are speculating about who will be going where and which teams will be the most active.
Many Detroit Red Wings fans were hoping that they would be one of those active teams. With them just missing the playoffs by five points, it feels like they are just a few moves away from getting back to the playoffs.
However, recent comments made by General Manager Steve Yzerman have raised questions about Detroit's offseason plans. Yzerman said in a recent interview after the John Gibson trade that he's not optimistic about the free agent market, citing that many teams are also interested in the same players.
Yzerman says they still "have some spots we’d like to upgrade on our roster. We’ll see if we can address it in free agency. I’m not that optimistic, to be honest with you, because there’s more teams than there are players for what we’re looking for."
— Will Burchfield (@burchie_kid) June 28, 2025
Trade mkt remains his focus. https://t.co/mIDzs9b1y7
This is the last thing that Red Wings fans want to hear right now. While these comments do not mean that Detroit won't make any moves this offseason, they do indicate that the team will not be active in free agency.
They will not be willing to spend the money on free agents, and have no desire to get into bidding wars for said players. They plan to focus more on the trade market, a far more risky endeavor.
How his recent comments make Steve Yzerman a more controversial figure
These comments are just the latest in a long line of actions by Yzerman that have left Red Wings fans scratching their heads. Since becoming the general manager in 2019, all the talk has centered on how the "Yzerplan" was going to bring the team back to relevance.
Fast forward five years, and that plan has not yet brought the Wings any success. These past two seasons were the closest the Wings were to making the playoffs under Yzerman.
This lack of success has led many fans to turn against Yzerman. They believe that his entire tenure was a failure and that the only way the Wings will be good again is if they let Yzerman go.
They are quick to point out that while Yzerman built the core in Tampa Bay, they did not win the Stanley Cup until after he left the organization. An argument can be made that Yzerman is unable to put the necessary finishing touches on a roster to get them over the hump.
These recent comments will not win Yzerman any support either. It's basically giving up on free agency before the market even opens. Just going off rumors, rather than actually seeing how the market plays out.
With the Wings needing just a few more pieces to be real contenders again, the Wings can leave no stone unturned this offseason when trying to get better. They must be willing to do whatever it takes to get back, which does not seem to be how Yzerman feels.
The Red Wings can not wait forever for the "Yzerplan" to work out. Within the following year, they have to see actual results or be forced to have a hard conversation. Given the current trajectory, it appears that conversation might need to happen sooner rather than later.
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