Neil Smith doesn’t hide how much the Detroit Red Wings still mean to him, and that’s exactly why the current mess around the franchise is hitting him so hard.
Smith, who once worked as the team’s head scout and assistant GM and oversaw the club’s farm system, was a key figure in Detroit’s 1989 draft class. He was also the one who pushed the Red Wings to take Sergei Fedorov. Later, after leaving Detroit for the New York Rangers, he became GM there and guided them to the 1993-94 Stanley Cup.
Even now, the connection runs deep. Speaking on the NHL Wraparound Podcast he co-hosts with Vic Morren, Smith said, “I have great affection for the Ilitch family,” and went on to praise the way the franchise changed hands from the Norris family in 1982 and grew in value and stature under the Ilitches.
He also noted the family’s current role in the team’s direction. “It’s run now by their son Chris Ilitch, who is obviously one of the Ilitch family and has the same brains and acumen.”
What’s troubling Smith is the state of the hockey operation itself. Dylan Larkin has asked for a trade.
Steve Yzerman, whom Smith drafted and who later became the Red Wings’ GM after his time in Tampa, was removed in July after seven seasons without playoff hockey. And with training camp only weeks away, Detroit still hasn’t named a replacement.
“What I’m really sad about is where the hockey team is right now,” Smith said. “Dylan Larkin, a player that has given everything to the Red Wings, played on their last playoff team, is the captain of their team, has told the team way back that he wanted to be traded.
“That was sad enough. Then Steve Yzerman, a player that I drafted for the Detroit Red Wings, who became general manager after being in Tampa with the same role, has been let go after seven seasons of no playoff hockey. And now we’re coming up to the end of August.
“They don’t have a general manager. They’re still on the lookout for a general manager. I don’t know how it’s possible that you could be at this point in the summer without a GM.
“The Dylan Larkin saga continues to go on. He’s going to have to either expand his list of teams that he’ll let Detroit trade him to or just resign himself to the fact that he’s coming back to training camp and going to play on the team.
“And until those two things are ironed out- who is the GM and where is Dylan Larkin going to be this year- the team will stay in chaos until those things are figured out. And to me, having worked for that great Original Six team, that’s very sad.”
In Other News...
Red Wings Fans May Hate What A Real McDavid Deal Would Cost
Connor McDavid trade talk is the kind of summer speculation that can light up a fan base and also force a hard look at what a deal would really require. For the Red Wings, the idea is easy to dream on because of the franchise's need to accelerate its rise, but the reality is that any team chasing a player of McDavid's stature has to consider far more than cap space or a simple roster fit. The discussion also stretches beyond Detroit, with the Rangers and Flyers among the clubs used to illustrate just how complicated a blockbuster of this magnitude would be.
What makes the exercise so jarring is how quickly the conversation turns from star power to sacrifice. A true McDavid move would not be a one-for-one swap, and the article makes clear that the price would force a contender or hopeful contender to part with meaningful talent and future assets in a way that could reshape the organization for years. For a fan base like Detroit's, that's the uncomfortable part of the daydream: the chase for the sport's biggest name would almost certainly come with a bill that tests how badly the Red Wings want to speed up the process. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Search Centers On A Little-Known Candidate With Real Draft Credibility
The search for help in Detroits front office has turned to a name that carries more draft-day credibility than mainstream recognition. Jeff Kealty, now the assistant general manager of the San Jose Sharks, has emerged as a candidate in the Red Wings broader evaluation of leadership options, bringing with him a long track record from his years in Nashville as a scout and executive.
Kealtys reputation was built on identifying talent, not chasing headlines, and that background has kept him in the conversation for other top jobs before. A former player whose career was cut short by concussion issues, he has spent years around the draft process and talent evaluation, the kind of experience that can resonate in a market still measuring every move through the lens of long-term roster building. The unanswered question is how seriously Detroit is taking him compared with the more familiar names in the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Dylan Larkins Trade Request Leaves Red Wings Fans Waiting For Accountability
Connor Hellebuycks trade request in Winnipeg has already become the kind of franchise-defining story that forces everyone to pick a side, because the goalie is reportedly willing to waive his no-movement clause to help make a deal happen. That detail matters in Detroit, too, because it invites an obvious comparison with Dylan Larkin, whose own request landed with plenty of noise but far less openness about where it might lead.
The contrast has only sharpened the frustration around the Red Wings captain. Larkin has kept a tight grip on potential landing spots, and he has not publicly explained why he wants out or addressed fans since his end-of-season media availability. For a player who carries so much of the teams identity, the silence has left Red Wings supporters waiting not just for clarity, but for some accountability. [Read more 🡒]