Steve Yzerman steps down as Red Wings GM

Steve Yzerman won 3 Stanley Cups as the captain of the of the Detroit Red Wings.

His time as general manager wasn’t nearly as successful.

The team announced that Yzerman is stepping down as GM after seven years, during which the Wings never qualified for the National Hockey League playoffs.

His departure comes about two months after team captain Dylan Larkin asked Yzerman to trade him to a contender while he can still be productive. Larkin turns 30 on July 30.

It also follows another late season collapse that took the Red Wings out of playoff contention after the Winter Olympics in Italy.

Detroit Free Press hockey writer Helene St. James says Hockeytown is a mess.

“The team is in shambles that I don’t think we’ve seen since 1982 when Bruce Norris tried to celebrate 50 years of his family’s ownership and was booed off the ice,” she says. “It’s such a bad look.”

The man with the (Yzer)plan

When owner Chris Ilitch hired Yzerman in 2019, Detroit had missed the postseason for three straight years. He inherited an aging roster, bloated contracts, and a barren farm system, not to mention Larkin.

Yzerman set out to build the Wings from within by drafting talented young players. The first player he drafted was Moritz Seider, a gritty defenseman from Germany. Seider quickly developed into one of Detroit’s best players, along with Sweden’s Lucas Raymond, who Yzerman drafted a year later.

Still, St. James says Yzerman’s approach to building a roster was too conservative.

“He hasn’t made any bold trades or free agent signings that would excite a fan base,” she says. “I think that’s a huge part of the problem.”

Because of his success as a player, Wings fans might eventually forgive Yzerman’s missteps. But St. James says they might not forget them, either.

“I don’t think you can just sweep this under the rug, this seven years of futility,” she says. 

Who’s next?

It’s not clear yet who will replace Yzerman. His top assistants were Kris Draper, who played with Yzerman, and Sean Horcroff. 

Larkin’s future in Detroit also remains in doubt. Could he change his mind and stay with the only team he’s played for? Or might the next GM be inclined to deal him? And if he does come back, would he still be the captain?

St. James says only time will tell.

“They can’t just trade him because he wants to be traded,” she says, noting that he has a no-trade clause. “They have to get players who can help them now in return.”