At one time, the Detroit Red Wings were one of the top teams in the NHL as they would make the playoffs 25 straight seasons and win the Stanley Cup three times during that run. They haven't had the same luck recently and have missed the playoffs now in nine straight seasons.
There has been plenty of change over that time, but one of the constants, for the most part, has been Steve Yzerman as general manager. He has been in that role since 2019, and during that time, the team has never finished higher than fifth in the Atlantic Division.
For Red Wings fans, it seems like it is going to be more of the same this season, as it was a relatively quiet free agency without a big franchise-changing move.
The biggest move by far was the Red Wings trading with the Anaheim Ducks for goaltender John Gibson. It does give the Red Wings a veteran duo of Gibson and Cam Talbot and they should improve some.
However, where they could have gained the most was improving their forwards and they didn't do enough there. The return of Patrick Kane was a good move, especially on a one-year deal, but the other additions (Mason Appleton, James van Riemsdyk) are more bottom-six players.
Weak free agent class makes it tough on Steve Yzerman but time might be running out
There is no question that the opportunity to bring in an impact player was limited with this free agent class. A majority of the top free agents didn't even reach the open market, as Mitch Marner would be a sign-and-trade to Vegas, and Brock Boeser would re-sign with Vancouver shortly after the start of free agency.
A few days into free agency, Steve Yzerman talked about the lack of opportunity this summer to improve the roster. It certainly was bad timing but the Red Wings need to show improvements, more specifically significant improvements, this season.
This season seems to be a make-or-break for the Yzerplan, and if the Red Wings can't make the playoffs, it might be time to say goodbye to a franchise legend as general manager.
