A recent report out of the Detroit Free Press may have done more than explain a pair of missed opportunities for the Red Wings. It may also have shed light on why Detroit’s search for a new general manager has dragged on.
The report pointed to indecision from owner Chris Ilitch as the reason the Red Wings came up empty on Anthony Mantha and Steven Stamkos, two chances to add proven scoring. In Mantha’s case, it would have meant a reunion with a former first-round pick and, perhaps, a chance to make up for the team’s 2021 trade of him. The Stamkos situation, meanwhile, came in 2024 and unfolded while Steve Yzerman was still running the hockey side.
That’s where the bigger question comes in: how much room would a future GM actually have to operate in Detroit?
The reporting suggests ownership has to sign off on just about everything. If that’s the reality, then it raises a fair question about whether a general manager can truly move quickly enough to win on players and deals that require a fast answer.
Did Yzerman have a Stamkos deal in place and take it to ownership only to get slowed down? Or did the delay itself push Stamkos’ camp toward another offer?
Whatever the exact sequence was, the concern is clear. A front office that has to run every move up the chain can make the job a tough sell for potential candidates.
If a GM knows every trade and signing needs ownership approval, then timing becomes everything. And if the response isn’t immediate, the damage is already done. The Red Wings have apparently already felt that with both Stamkos and Mantha moving on.
For younger NHL executives, that kind of setup could be a red flag. A stint in Detroit that goes sideways might not just cost them the job - it could hurt the rest of their career. That’s a steep risk for anyone trying to build a long runway in the league.
As for when the Red Wings will actually name someone to the post, there doesn’t appear to be a reliable answer yet. The information that’s surfaced so far points to no firm timeline, and the chances of having a GM in place before the season starts seem to be fading.
That matters because training camp is coming, and there are real roster calls still ahead. Todd McLellan will have some say, but only so much. Without a GM in place to make the final decisions, the Red Wings could enter camp with an uncertain direction and a front office still trying to sort out who really holds the authority.
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Red Wings Quiet Move Could Complicate Nate Danielsons Path
The Red Wings made a low-key addition to their organizational center depth by bringing in Sutter Muzzatti from Nashville and then quickly locking him into a two-year, entry-level deal. It was the kind of quiet transaction that can get lost in the shuffle, but for a team still sorting out its long-term middle-ice picture, these moves tend to matter more than they first appear.
Muzzatti, 23, arrives after finishing a season at Notre Dame and comes with a build that stands out at 6-foot-5. Drafted 143rd overall in 2023, he gives Detroit another option to evaluate in a pipeline that already has young centers trying to carve out a path, which is exactly why this sort of addition can ripple beyond the margins of the transaction log. [Read more 🡒]