MLive’s Ansar Khan has posted his take on the Red Wings’ free agency moves thus far, which include signing Andrew Copp, Ben Chiarot, David Perron, Dominik Kubalik and Olli Maatta (and making a trade for Ville Husso last Friday):
The Red Wings are deeper and more skilled. The message from Yzerman is clear – last season’s fade (8-18-4 over the final 30 games), which included 9-2 and 11-2 losses and resulted in the team finishing second-to-last in goals against, must be reversed quickly. Now it’s up to new head coach Derek Lalonde and all the players to deliver.
Copp, Perron and Chiarot spoke with the media, and all said the same thing – this team is ready for the next step.
“It shows the belief (Yzerman) has in the group and the guys he’s adding,” Copp said. “I have a lot of faith in where this team is headed and the young talent that’s come up the last couple of years, and obviously the guys that have been here like Larks and (Tyler) Bertuzzi. I feel like we have a good group and we’re just ready to take the next step.”
Chiarot was asked if this day could be a turning point in a rebuild that has seen the Red Wings miss the playoffs six years in a row.
“Absolutely,” he said. “The young guys kind of getting into their mid-20s and then you add veteran guys like myself and Perron and Copp, I think that’s a sign to the whole fanbase and the team that the team is ready to take that next step.”
Perron said his experience during the Vegas Golden Knights’ surprising run to the Stanley Cup Final as an expansion club in 2018 tells him fast turnarounds are possible.
“The moment you get a call from Steve Yzerman, it gets your attention right away,” Perron said. “I think the Red Wings, with some of the signings that happened today, are ready to take the next step in the evolution of the team and I wanted to be part of that. I know I’m getting older, but I still have a lot to prove in my head.”
