What If Steve Yzerman was the Detroit Red Wings General Manager starting in 2016? 🤯🏒
We’re diving deep into the alternate universe where Steve Yzerman took over as GM of the Detroit Red Wings back in 2016 instead of 2019. What moves would he have made? Who stays, who goes, and how different would this rebuild look today?
From free agency decisions to draft picks and trades, we reimagine the critical years that defined the Wings’ post-Datsyuk/Zetterberg era — but through the lens of Yzerman’s trademark discipline and vision. Would Dylan Larkin still be captain? Would Moritz Seider still be a Red Wing? Would the playoff drought even exist?
🔥 In this episode:
✅ Alternate draft scenarios
✅ Free agents Yzerman would’ve never signed
✅ Trades that might’ve happened earlier
✅ How the rebuild timeline would’ve shifted
✅ Would the Wings already be Cup contenders?
This one’s for the diehards!
👇 Drop your “what if” takes in the comments!
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7 Comments
Most fans don't realize the effect this moment had on the franchise. Losing Pavel, almost out of nowhere and getting nothing in return cost us at least 5 years of rebuild time.
Yzerman is still doing that. Holding kids down too long. Most teams let kifs play at 20yo. Yzerman is holding most back till 24 yo or so. How many star players does this league have under 23yo and how many just good player same age all over the league? How many do Wings have besides Kasper and Edvinson who are exception to the rule?
When you both said holland didn’t commit to a full blown out rebuild and just kept the team afloat is all in the Illitch’s for being cheap and terrible owners
I still don’t get why the Datsyuk trade is looked at as a bad trade. Ken Holland was able offload dead money and come out ahead with an extra draft pick that actually used to pick Filip Hronek, not Givani Smith. That’s a masterclass move. You’re not supposed to be able to trade a bad contract and end up with more draft picks than what was traded with the bad contract. Offloading a bad contract usually comes with the expense of attaching a pick and getting little to nothing in return. In 2019 a desperate in need of cap space Toronto traded a still playing in the NHL at that time Patrick Marleau with a 1st and a 7th to Carolina for a 6th. Why are these deals so different?
Great episode! Cannot wait for parts 2 and 3! It was hronek not smith but it doesn’t matter since amateur scouting still did a terrible job with their first two picks. Moving on datsyuks contract never should’ve happened and we’d potentially have what you both mentioned and then some. I’d rather have chychrun+Vilardi+bouchard over everyone we drafted
Cannot wait for part 2 after these changes you guys made if steve was the gm for this team. Holland and wright did this org a disservice by overstaying their welcome
The biggest mistake Holland made was get nielsen and helm after trading datsyuks contract. yeah you got hronek eventually that landed you asp, but there is no way holland would have predicted hronek would be traded for a 1st over time. Also would agree with carlo they shouldve traded mrazek sooner and gone out to get an old vet to help tank the team