The Red Wings’ search for Steve Yzerman’s replacement is starting to sound a lot more modern.
According to Detroit Free Press sportswriter Helen St. James, Detroit is looking at candidates with strong analytics backgrounds for a possible director of hockey operations role. The team has even brought in an outside company to help screen the field, a sign this process could get a little more sophisticated than the usual hockey-rink whisper network.
A few of the names floating around fit that profile: Tyler Dellow of Carolina, Sam Ventura of Buffalo, Darren Yorke of Carolina and Brett Peterson of Florida. They’re all assistant general managers or executives known for their analytics work, and that’s clearly part of what Detroit is weighing.
What isn’t clear yet is whether the Red Wings are targeting one top hire or building something closer to a two-person setup. The source points to the Detroit Tigers as a possible model, with President of Hockey Operations Scott Harris above general manager Jeff Greenberg.
The Tigers have built what is described as an exceptional analytics structure, and Greenberg’s path is part of why that comparison keeps coming up. He arrived in Detroit after working as associate general manager for the Chicago Blackhawks, and one league theory is that he could wind up with some role in the Red Wings’ new structure.
That said, this is still hockey, not baseball. Analytics matter more than they used to, and they’re now part of decisions on line combinations, defensive pairings and trade evaluation.
But the game still leans hard on the stuff you can’t chart as easily: culture, leadership and chemistry. That’s why Detroit may be looking for a blend - an old-school hockey voice paired with someone who brings the numbers.
Elsewhere in the Red Wings orbit, the Quinn Hughes chatter isn’t going away. A report out of New Jersey includes the latest on Hughes and what it would take for the Devils to trade for him. The source notes that with Dylan Larkin wanting out, Detroit’s chances of landing Hughes have likely passed, but says the situation is still worth watching now that a new director of hockey operations may be coming in.
Also around the team: there’s a look at what the Red Wings’ goaltending depth chart might look like in October, and Moritz Seider was judged to be the NHL’s top defensive defenseman.
On the Grand Rapids side, tickets are now on sale for the Griffins’ preseason games against the Cleveland Monsters on Sept. 26 and 27 at the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio. Those are the first Griffins preseason games since 2016, and they’ll give fans a chance to see prospects such as Trey Augustine, Michal Postava, Carter Bear and Anton Johansson up close.
The Sept. 26 game is set for 1 p.m., while the Sept. 27 game starts at 3 p.m. The Griffins last played a preseason game at Huntington Center in 2012.
In Other News...
Former Red Wings Winger Now Faces Serious Trouble Off The Ice
Ville Leinos post-hockey life has taken a difficult turn, with the former Red Wings wingers clothing company Billebeino dealing with a sharp financial downturn. The brand has been hit by significant losses and a long slide in sales, a reminder that life after the rink can be just as unforgiving as the pro game for players trying to build something of their own.
The business pressure comes at a time when a few other ex-Red Wings names have been popping up in hockey circles, from Henrik Zetterberg earning a spot on a Swedish all-decade team to Tim Gettinger and Patrik Rybar moving on to new opportunities. For Leino, though, the attention is less about a nostalgic hockey moment and more about whether his company can steady itself after filing for corporate restructuring. [Read more 🡒]
Former Griffins Forward Puts Red Wings Development Path Under The Spotlight
Wojciech Stachowiaks first season in North America ended in Grand Rapids, where he finished last year with the AHLs Griffins after being traded into the Red Wings organization. For a player still trying to carve out a foothold on this side of the Atlantic, the experience gave him a better look at the grind of the North American game while keeping the door open to what comes next.
Stachowiak is now an unrestricted free agent, and he has made it clear he would like to stay in North America as he looks for the right fit. After calling his first season a positive one despite the usual adjustments and challenges, he is still chasing the same thing most fringe prospects are: a landing spot where the path does not stop at the AHL and where an NHL debut can finally become more than a long-term goal. [Read more 🡒]
Moritz Seider Just Earned Recognition Red Wings Fans Will Love
Moritz Seider added another notable line to his rsum this week when The Hockey News named him the winner of the Rod Langway Award, honoring the NHLs best defensive defenseman for the 2025-26 season. For Red Wings fans, it is the kind of recognition that matches what they have been watching for a while now: a player who anchors the back end, sets the tone physically and brings a level of durability that coaches trust in all situations.
Seider also led Detroit in plus-minus rating, another sign of how much he matters when the game tilts into tougher minutes. Todd McLellan has praised his endurance and athleticism, and with his profile continuing to rise, Seider has become a natural candidate to eventually take on an even bigger role in the room as the successor to Dylan Larkin as captain. [Read more 🡒]