Updated at 8:01 PM: So Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman appeared in the media of his own accord twice today, which is rare for the Wings’ GM. First, he was on 97.1 the Ticket with Stoney and Jensen, speaking for 13-and-a-half minutes…
As annotated by 97.1 the Ticket’s Will Burchfield…
“There are a lot of changes,” Yzerman told 97.1 The Ticket on Monday. “It takes a little bit of time usually for everybody to fit in and figure out where everybody plays and who they play with, but I think we’re an improved team.
“I can’t tell you if it’s five wins, 10 wins, 20 wins, but I think it’s an improved team, a quicker team. A little bit more skill up front with Namestnikov and Bobby Ryan in the lineup. Our D was a little bit older and banged-up last year, and I’m hoping that with Marc Staal, Jon Merrill and Stetcher we’re a little bit younger, maybe a little bigger even, but a little bit more energy on the backend now.”
The Red Wings can also count on improvement from within. On the backend, Yzerman is expecting 22-year-old Filip Hronek to continue the ascent he began last season, and hoping 21-year-old Gustav Lindstrom can secure a full-time role in Detroit. Among the forwards, he’s eyeing further growth from 20-year-old Filip Zadina and bigger contributions from Dylan Larkin, Anthony Mantha and Tyler Bertuzzi.
“I expect us to be better,” Yzerman said. “I expect Filip Hronek to take a step. Does Gustav Lindstrom, who played a little bit for us last year, is he able to hang on to a full-time job and play regularly? I think Dylan, Anthony and Tyler are just going into their prime years. Filip Zadina unfortunately got hurt (toward the end of last season). He really showed signs that he was becoming an NHL-er with an ability to make plays and score goals, so I look to have him in there.”
Mantha and Bertuzzi are both restricted free agents in need of new contracts, but Yzerman has no worries about getting that done.
“We’ll sign Anthony and Tyler. I’m pretty certain we’ll get them signed,” he said. “It’s a question, is it one year, is it five years, is it four years? … Each year as our young guys’ contracts expire, a year from now Filip Hronek’s up and we’ll extend his contract. But we’re hoping we can move our younger players in, one or two every year for the next two, three, four years.”
Then, he held a 15-minute-long press conference to discuss the Red Wings’ free agency and trade moves (so far: Yzerman indicated that there may be more to come) with the Red Wings’ website:
In both interviews, Yzerman discussed the Red Wings’ free agents, the lure of playing for a “hometown” team for Jon Merrill and Vladislav Namesnikov, his belief that the Wings will get Anthony Mantha (first) and Tyler Bertuzzi (second) signed sooner than later, and Yzerman also suggested that the Wings may not be done completely in that they may pursue a trade with another team and/or sign another free agent.
For the most part, however, Yzerman is done wheeling and dealing, as noted by WXYZ’s Brad Galli in a video report…
And MLive’s Ansar Khan focused on Yzerman’s remarks regarding both short-term deals and his plans for the future, internally and externally:
The Red Wings have roughly $18 million in cap space. Much of that will go toward signing restricted free-agent forwards Anthony Mantha and Tyler Bertuzzi. Yzerman might also add an expiring contract in exchange for a draft pick, like he did with Marc Staal, if there is an opportunity.
“I think we’re in a position if we wanted to do something – I look at what some of the teams that are cap-crunched, if they’re looking to do something,” Yzerman said. “So maybe kind of explore possible trades and if nothing comes to fruition potentially circle back and maybe add one more player, a free agent, if they’re still out there. I don’t think we’ll be terribly active.”
The Red Wings roster is full but Yzerman did not rule out the possibility of a young player who has been loaned to Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic of returning to grab a spot. Filip Zadina and Moritz Seider would be the leading candidates.
“In some cases, you can kind of pencil a player into your lineup thinking he’s ready based on how he finished the last year,” Yzerman said. “This is such a unique situation. We finished in March. If there was a player we felt was ready to play and wanted to keep a spot open for on the roster we would have hoped to have seen him in March and April and through a good playoff run (in Grand Rapids) and then say, ‘Do we think he’s ready to play?”
“Based on when we shut down in March our feeling is, and things can certainly change, but we need to build our roster. If our young kids are good enough to play, we’ll find a spot for them and figure it out. If any of these kids show up in training camp – a few of them will be staying in Europe – and ready to go and help the team, we’ll keep them and figure it out. Right now, we filled our spots that were available on the roster but’s not set in stone. Wouldn’t it be fantastic if a young guys came in and was simply too good to send to the American League or back to Europe or junior? It would be a fantastic problem to have.”
Also:
Yzerman said he plans on speaking with Mantha’s agent again this week while continuing to prepare for a possible arbitration hearing with Bertuzzi.
“I’m confident we’ll get a deal done,” he said. “I can’t tell for how long or what it is, but it’s both of our intentions to get a deal done and likewise for Tyler. He filed for arbitration and ultimately, we know we’re going to get a contract done. It may be for one year or may be longer.”
Update: Here’s more from the Free Press’s Helene St. James:
While some other general managers could lure free agents with joining a Stanley Cup contender, Yzerman’s sold players on how much of an opportunity they will have, and on wearing the winged wheel on their chests.
“You’re getting an opportunity to play, take advantage of that opportunity,” Yzerman said. “Even on a short-term contract, set yourself up for the next one. But I also believe the other lure, not just the opportunity — I believe the players are intrigued to play for an Original Six franchise and play for the Red Wings. A player like Jon Merrill, he’s played here with U-18 program, he grew up in the area. These kids, they know the area and they know the city and it’s a great place to play. So I think there is an allure to playing here in Detroit.”
Merrill grew up in Grand Blanc and Brighton, and played for the National Team Development Program and at Michigan. Namestnikov, who is former Wings forward Slava Kozlov’s nephew, grew up in the metro area and lives there in the offseason. Both spoke with great relish of the chance to play for the Wings.
Yzerman wasn’t particularly targeting those with ties to the area, but it was a nice bonus.
“I think it’s important for players to be excited about where they are playing, like where they are living,” he said. “Everyone has different motivations for places they want to play, and one thing about Detroit being a good hockey town, hockey city, is a lot of kids played here. Much like the kids in Toronto or Montreal were dreaming of playing for the Leafs or the Canadiens, in Detroit a lot of the kids grow up dreaming of playing for the Red Wings. So it’s great they’re enthusiastic and want to come back and play.”
