The Detroit Red Wings need a new general manager for the 2026-27 season, and there are no shortage of names available. The two safest and (most obvious) choices are assistant general managers Shawn Horcoff and Kris Draper, who have worked with the Red Wings for quite some time.
But a third name has gained a lot of interest: franchise legend Nicklas Lidstrom.
While Red Wings fans may not be too keen on the idea of another former captain and franchise icon taking over, especially with how the Steve Yzerman tenure went, Lidstrom makes a lot of sense -- and for good reason.
Not only does he have internal experience already, he knows what it takes to win in the Motor City and knows what a locker room needs. On paper, that sounds like Steve Yzerman 2.0. Lidstrom's leadership style, though, is substantially different from Yzerman's.
Yzerman was a hard and demanding leader towards his players to a fault. It's speculated that it's a driving reason behind Dylan Larkin's trade request. Some believe he was too hard on the players in-house while not gathering reinforcements. Lidstrom, on the other hand, has a different philosophy.
Nicklas Lidstrom would have a much different outcome as GM than Steve Yzerman
Lidstrom was always a calm, cool and collected player who always made the right play at the right time. If his work on player development is any indication, he'd apply that philosophy exactly to his team.
Lidstrom always acted in the best interest of the team on the ice, hardly ever making a mistake. Due to this, he received the nickname "The Perfect Human". If his scouting record is any indication, he's going to continue that trend, as he is one of the top names involved in finding players like Lucas Raymond and Simon Edvinsson, as well as franchise defenseman Moritz Seider.
It's safe to say all three of those players were safe picks, given that they were in the first round, but he's also done plenty of work within player development as well. One player he's worked particularly well with is Albert Johansson, helping the late-blooming defender turn into a bottom-pairing threat.
He's been effective as player, scout and developer. There's a chance he could be an ideal candidate for the general manager job. Who knows, maybe he can even try and convince disgruntled captain Dylan Larkin to stick around in the process.
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