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Steve Yzerman steps down as Red Wings GM

✇WDET 101.9 FM
Pat Batcheller

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.”

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The post Steve Yzerman steps down as Red Wings GM appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

Larkin trade request puts Red Wings in tough spot

✇WDET 101.9 FM
Pat Batcheller

The Detroit Red Wings do not have a first round pick in the 2026 National Hockey League draft. They traded it, along with a third round selection, to the St. Louis Blues for defenseman Justin Faulk in March.

At the time, the Wings were in a good position to reach the NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs. They thought adding Faulk would bolster their chances of making the postseason for the first time in almost a decade.

Instead, Detroit collapsed, losing 13 of their last 19 games. The team now has the longest playoff drought in the NHL at 10 seasons.

Besides giving up a first round draft pick, the Wings could lose their team captain this offseason. Dylan Larkin has asked for a trade, preferably to a playoff contender. Larkin has played his entire career in Detroit. But he turns 30 in July and wants to win a Stanley Cup while he can still play at a high level.

Helene St. James covers hockey for the Detroit Free Press. She says Larkin’s desire to leave traces back to the Winter Olympics in February, when he and Team USA won the gold medal.

“I was there covering the team, and I’ve never seen him look happier,” she says. “I think it really hit home to him what he has been missing out on in Detroit.”

Helene St. James is an author and Detroit Free Press hockey writer

Larkin has a no-trade clause but can waive it if General Manager Steve Yzerman finds a team willing to acquire Larkin.

Deal or no deal?

St. James says Yzerman doesn’t have to trade Larkin. If he does, he would want a similar player in return.

“He would need to get an established NHL player in his mid-to late-20s who can play center,” she says. “They really need value players now.”

Larkin listed the Florida Panthers as one of his preferred destinations. They won the Stanley Cup in 2025 but missed the postseason in 2026. And they have already made a big roster move that makes a deal for Larkin unlikely.

Florida acquired Larkin’s Olympics teammate Brady Tkachuk from the Ottawa Senators on June 21. Like Larkin, Tkachuk was a team captain and their statistics are similar. But Tkachuk is three years younger than Larkin. And the Panthers gave up several draft picks, including two first-rounders in this year’s draft.

St. James says trading Larkin for draft picks would set Detroit’s rebuild back by several years.

“Those guys are not going to materialize into NHL contributors for a few years, especially later in the draft,” she says.

A new leader waits in the wings

If Yzerman refuses to make a trade, then it would be up to Larkin to decide if he wants to play in 2026-27 or sit out the season. Either way, Yzerman and head coach Todd McLellan could pick a new captain to replace Larkin.

St. James says defenseman Moritz Seider would likely be that player.

“He has emerged as a leader in every respect, on the ice and off the ice,” she says. “He shows up all the time.”

Seider, 25, captained Germany’s national team in the 2026 Olympics. He was also the first player Yzerman drafted when he became GM in 2019.

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The post Larkin trade request puts Red Wings in tough spot appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

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