NHL Analyst Believes Red Wings Made a Critical Mistake at Trade Deadline

I'll be honest: I am at a complete loss for words as to what the «Yzerplan» truly is. This spring will mark six years since GM Steve Yzerman has been on the job in Detroit; what does he have to show for it? Sure, Moritz Seider has the potential to be one of the league's best defenseman and forward Lucas Raymond has the makings of a very talented top-line winger - but is either star set to be a franchise cornerstone?

And yes, I know the Red Wings have a boat load of talented prospects in the pipeline. I'm no prospect guru (I'll leave that responsibility to my colleague Steven Ellis), but I've had many from the Red Wings' faithful point out the promising young players that have been drafted the last number of years. I do not doubt that Detroit has a lot of talent on the way and could boast an above-average roster sometime in the near future. But that doesn't justify completely neglecting the present group at the NHL level. What kind of culture is being instilled in guys like Raymond, Seider, Simon Edvinsson and Marco Kasper? That's to say nothing of veteran and team captain Dylan Larkin.

Let's call it for what it is: Yzerman's handling of the 2025 Trade Deadline was a disgrace. For a team in desperate need of making the playoffs and playing in a postseason game for the first time in its new arena, the Red Wings needed to take a swing this season - especially with how tight things are in the Eastern Conference.

I'll reserve judgment to change my opinion and, much like two months ago, will gladly eat my words if I'm proven wrong once again. But this deadline was a massive failure for Yzerman both from a tangible and optics point of view, and with yet another season of no playoff hockey taking shape in Michigan, some tough questions need to start being asked.