Detroit’s next general manager isn’t walking into a clean slate. This is the kind of job that comes with loose ends everywhere, and some of the biggest ones are already hanging over the Red Wings before the new boss even takes over.
That’s what makes Wednesday’s announcement feel so unusual. Steve Yzerman is moving into a senior advisory role two weeks after unrestricted free agency opened and three weeks after the NHL Entry Draft, which means he already handled some of the heaviest lifting. But plenty remains unresolved, and several of the biggest decisions could shape not just this season, but the organization’s direction for years.
The most complicated name on the board is Dylan Larkin.
The Wings’ captain has reportedly wanted a trade, and the question now is whether that still holds once a new GM is in place. A fresh face and a new plan could change his mind, especially if he decides he wants to stay in his hometown.
It’s also possible the issue was tied to a deteriorating relationship with Yzerman. Or maybe the situation has already gone too far.
Some fans are convinced the bridge has been burned, and plenty have turned their frustration toward Larkin, blaming him for Yzerman’s departure and feeling he turned his back on the team.
The new GM will have to sort out what makes the most sense for everyone involved.
Patrick Kane is another major question, and this one may not even wait for the new GM to settle in.
It looks like Kane’s choice has narrowed to either his hometown Buffalo Sabres or the Chicago Blackhawks, the team with which he won three Stanley Cups. After three seasons in Detroit, he appears likely to be moving on, and an official decision could come soon.
Whether the summer turmoil around Larkin and Yzerman played a role, whether Kane sees the Wings as no closer to the playoffs, or whether he simply wants to finish his career in Buffalo or Chicago, the end result seems the same. Detroit wants him back, especially after he showed late last season that he still has plenty of offense left.
But that return probably isn’t happening.
Then there’s Simon Edvinsson, whose next contract could get expensive in a hurry.
The restricted free-agent defenseman is due for a new deal, and based on some of the contracts around the league, it could be a big one - likely bigger than Yzerman wanted. Moritz Seider remains the highest-paid defenseman on the roster at an $8.5 million annual average value, but Edvinsson may end up topping that.
There’s also the possibility that another team could try to pry him away with an offer sheet carrying a hefty salary, forcing Detroit to decide whether to match. With the front office in flux, it wouldn’t be shocking if another club tried to take advantage.
Alex DeBrincat is another player whose future deserves a close look.
He can become an unrestricted free agent next July 1, and with NHL salaries climbing, he’s in line for more than the $7.875 million he’s making now. The 41-goal scorer fit beautifully with Kane, his longtime linemate from Chicago, and brought energy to the Wings with his intensity.
But with Larkin’s status uncertain and Kane’s future in Detroit looking shaky, DeBrincat may be thinking about his own next move. He could also become one of the more valuable chips available to the new GM at the trade deadline, along with goaltender John Gibson and defenseman Justin Faulk, all of whom are prospective UFAs.
Those names could bring back useful draft picks or prospects.
As for Todd McLellan, a coaching change seems unlikely this soon.
The new GM probably won’t come in and immediately make a switch behind the bench, especially with a new season approaching. McLellan has done solid work over his two seasons, making the roster more accountable, even if last season’s late collapse left a sour taste.
Still, this is the kind of league where a new GM usually wants a coach of his own choosing, someone he knows and trusts. That’s simply how it works.
McLellan isn’t under pressure right now, and he shouldn’t be. But if the Wings fall short next season and the new GM doesn’t have a strong existing connection to him, the noise around his job security will only grow louder.
In Other News...
Dylan Larkin Suddenly Looms Over One Massive Red Wings Question
The Red Wings have spent the summer watching a lot of noise swirl around other teams and other names, from Montreals reported lack of real interest in Anthony Mantha to the Predators having to trim a crowded roster and sort through trade possibilities. Even the Patrick Kane speculation has kept the rumor mill busy elsewhere, while Detroit has remained in a familiar spot where the biggest questions are still about the shape of its own roster and whether the club has done enough to move closer to contention.
What makes Dylan Larkin suddenly loom over all of it is the possibility that the dynamic around Detroit could change if Steve Yzerman is no longer the one steering the front office. The Red Wings have not exactly made offseason moves that scream playoff push, so any shift at the top would naturally send a ripple through the organization and back toward its captain. For a team still trying to define its next step, that kind of uncertainty is hard to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Steve Yzerman Just Forced A Massive Red Wings Turning Point
The offseason around the Red Wings keeps getting busier, and one of the more notable moves came in Winnipeg, where Cole Perfetti landed a five-year extension that keeps him in place through the 2030-31 season. It is the kind of long-term commitment that helps a team settle its core, and it comes as Detroit continues to navigate a very different kind of uncertainty at the top of its own organization.
Edmonton also made a significant swing in reshaping its goaltending picture, adding Tristan Jarry, Devon Levi and Frederik Andersen to a roster that now looks markedly different in net. For Detroit, the bigger question is what comes next in its front office search, with the organization now weighing its options and trying to determine who will guide the next phase of the rebuild. [Read more 🡒]
Three Forgotten Red Wings Defense Prospects Still Matter More Than Fans Think
A few of the Red Wings 2023 draft defensemen have kept moving along in college hockey this season, even if they have slipped out of the daily conversation around Detroits prospect pool. Larry Keenan at UMass, Jack Phelan at Wisconsin and Brady Cleveland at Minnesota Duluth have all carved out meaningful roles, with each one showing the kind of defensive growth that keeps pro teams watching closely.
Keenan has added offense to his game while still handling the work that matters most in his own end, Phelan has settled in as a dependable stay-at-home presence, and Cleveland continues to bring the size and edge that made him such an intriguing pick in the first place. None of that guarantees a quick path to the NHL, but it does mean Detroit still has three blue-line projects worth tracking as their college seasons unfold and the club weighs future contract decisions. [Read more 🡒]