DETROIT – Steve Yzerman admits to feeling a little pressure to accelerate the rebuild and get the Detroit Red Wings back into the playoffs heading into his sixth season as general manager.
That doesn’t change his plan of building a core through the draft, developing young players and complementing them with prudent free-agent signings and sensible trades.
Yzerman made some changes to a roster that missed the playoffs due to a tiebreaker, though not the big splash some might have anticipated.
“We all would love to make the playoffs next year … but ultimately, we’re still trying to put together that core of young guys that is going to be together and start to creep into the playoffs and hang around the playoffs and maybe eventually win,” Yzerman said on Friday. “That is the big picture, the long-term plan, and we’ll stick with that. We try to surround these young players with good people and better hockey players to help them become better players and slowly inch forward.”
He added, “Our fan base wants to win. Pressure, whatever you want to call it, it’s not going to change what I’m trying to do. It’s the right way to do it. And it’s taken some time. And I can’t tell you it’s five years, seven years, 10 years. I’m just going to stick with it here.”
The Red Wings appear to be better in goal after signing Cam Talbot. Their defense arguably could be better with free-agent Erik Gustafsson and former top pick Simon Edvinsson up for a full season.
Offense is a concern. They added proven scorer Vladimir Tarasenko and resigned Patrick Kane in free agency, and young Jonathan Berggren should contribute. But they face a potential goals deficit after parting ways with forwards David Perron, Robby Fabbri and Daniel Sprong and defensemen Shayne Gostisbehere and Jake Walman.
Yzerman said he made a pitch for one of the top free agents – the short list included Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault, both of whom signed with Nashville.
“We had some interest in one that we thought might be a fit,” Yzerman said. “We decided very quickly that it’s going to be really some major surgery to try and get it done.”
Yzerman said he’d consider another move but doesn’t have anything in the works. It would have to be money in, money out since their remaining cap space of roughly $20 million is earmarked for restricted free agents Moritz Seider, Raymond, Joe Veleno and Berggren.
If this is the roster they’ll start the season with, Yzerman said he doesn’t feel any differently about their chances of making the playoffs than he did a year ago.
“I think we’re in with that group of teams that has a chance to compete for the playoffs if we stay healthy, if our goaltending is good, and you get some unexpected production,” he said. “That’s the fine line. I look at our team today and compare it to last year’s group. It’s a little bit different, might be a little bit better fit as far as roles for players with where they play, or at least where they sit on the roster today. I expect it to be a comparable team.”
Tarasenko is their most significant addition.
“A different-type player than our wingers Lucas, Patrick Kane, Alex DeBrincat,” Yzerman said. “A bigger body, a left shot to fill out that top-six, top-nine group, a scorer, a straight-ahead guy who’s big and strong and will go to the net.”
He expects improvement from within to compensate for the lost offense.
“We expect a little more out of Lucas Raymond, Alex DeBrincat, his shooting percentage for his career was down a little bit last year,” Yzerman said. “Jonatan Berggren we expect to contribute a little bit to that. On the back end, Erik Gustafsson will contribute to some of the offense lost with Shayne Gostisbehere and Jake Walman goals.
“Hopefully we can keep a few more out of the net and maybe it nets out in a positive way.”
Yzerman said Ville Husso is healthy, but they’ll see how he in training camp before deciding whether to carry three goalies on their season-opening roster.
“I’m happy with the D corps,” Yzerman said. “We’re expecting Simon to play a bigger role. Albert Johansson will get an opportunity to have an impact.”