The Detroit Red Wings are closing in on training camp, and the biggest question hanging over the organization has nothing to do with line combinations or preseason tune-ups.
It’s the front office.
Camp is set to open on September 17, but Detroit still does not have a new general manager in place after Steve Yzerman shifted into a senior advisor role. More than six weeks into the search, there still isn’t much clarity on who has been interviewed, who is still being considered, or when Chris Ilitch and the team expect to make the call.
That uncertainty is starting to wear on people. One fan reaction summed up the mood bluntly: “Are the Red Wings going to hire a GM or they going with no GM to start the year?
That's honestly kind of nails. #LGRW”
There’s nothing wrong with being deliberate here. This is one of the most important decisions Detroit has made in years. But with camp approaching fast, patience has begun to feel a lot like frustration.
And the GM search is only part of the problem.
Simon Edvinsson still does not have a contract extension, even though he is one of the most important young defensemen on the roster. His agent has said Edvinsson and his camp are waiting for Detroit’s management situation to be settled before moving forward.
Then there’s Alex DeBrincat, whose future with the club remains unsettled as Detroit tries to decide what direction it wants to take.
And above all of that sits Dylan Larkin.
The captain’s trade request has created a huge cloud over the franchise. Detroit now has to figure out whether its new hockey leadership can persuade him to stay or whether the organization is ready to move on from its captain.
Another fan post captured the uncertainty around that situation, asking: “Will Dylan Larkin begin the season:
- As captain of the Detroit Red Wings
- On the Red Wings
- On a different team
🤔🤔🤔 pic.twitter.com/3SU6wYBJap”
These are not small offseason loose ends. They’re franchise-shaping decisions.
Detroit fans have already waited through 10 straight seasons without a playoff appearance, and the organization has acknowledged that it has not met the standard expected by the franchise and its supporters. That’s why the next stretch matters so much.
The search doesn’t have to be rushed, and fans do not need every detail of it. They do not need the team to hire someone just to say the job is filled. What they do need is a sense that there is a plan.
Elliotte Friedman said Jeff Greenberg is a name that interests him in the Red Wings’ management search, noting that Greenberg works for the Tigers and previously spent time with the Blackhawks and Cubs. A separate report also noted that Detroit has taken its time with the process.
Whoever steps in will inherit a roster loaded with difficult choices, promising young players and real pressure to finally end the playoff drought. The longer the search drags on without answers, the harder it becomes for fans to believe the organization knows exactly where it’s headed.
There is still a chance to change the tone before camp opens.
A GM announcement, an Edvinsson extension, clarity on DeBrincat or movement on the Larkin situation would all go a long way toward calming things down. Detroit does not need to solve everything this week.
But it does need to show that someone is working on it.
In Other News...
Red Wings Forward Sends Honest Message After Rough Season
Marco Kasper didnt pretend his second NHL season with the Red Wings went the way he wanted. After a promising first year, the young forward looked back on a tougher follow-up and said the response has to start with the work he puts in every day, with an eye on offseason training to sharpen his game. For a player trying to establish himself in Detroit, it was an honest assessment from someone who knows the margin for growth is still there.
The larger backdrop around Kasper only adds to the uncertainty. The Red Wings have gone through plenty of turbulence, including changes in team management, and there has been plenty of noise around players trying to figure out where they fit. Kasper acknowledged those trade rumors as part of the reality around him, but for now he is leaving the rest to unfold as it will. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Trade Buzz Suddenly Hints At Something Bigger In Winnipeg
Connor Hellebuycks confirmed trade request has already sent the Winnipeg rumor mill into overdrive, and Red Wings fans have not been shy about joining the conversation. Around the league, the most common landing spot in the mock-trade chatter has been Buffalo, but the idea of Detroit getting involved has also started to surface in the kind of fan-driven scenarios that tend to snowball quickly once a star goalies future comes into question.
What makes the Winnipeg speculation worth watching from Detroits perspective is how easily it can widen beyond one player. Some of the mock deals floating around on PuckGM have started to pull other Jets names into the frame, which is where the conversation begins to feel a lot bigger than a simple goaltending swap. For now, though, Hellebuyck is the only clear piece of the story, and the rest remains the kind of noise that usually keeps a front office busy even when it never turns into anything real. [Read more 🡒]
Former Griffins Scorer Is Getting The NHL Look Detroit Never Gave Him
Several Edmonton Oilers injuries are creating extra openings as training camp approaches, and that has put a familiar name from Grand Rapids back into the NHL conversation. Eduards Tralmaks, who spent time with the Griffins before signing with Edmonton as a free agent, is among the AHL players who could benefit if the club needs bodies early and wants to sort through some fringe roster candidates.
Oilers general manager Stan Bowman acknowledged the camp absences could give players like Tralmaks and Aku Raty a closer look, which is exactly the kind of break that can change a prospects trajectory. For Detroit followers, its a reminder of how thin the margins can be for players who pass through Grand Rapids and then wait for a real NHL chance, even if it never arrived here. [Read more 🡒]