DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills posted an article regarding Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman’s pre-training camp press conference today. Yzerman addressed the concept that he’s turned over a third of the roster over the course of the summer….
“I believe we’ll be a better hockey team this year, I expect us to be,” Yzerman said in a pre-camp Zoom call with the media on Wednesday. “Having said that, it can take some time for things to settle in, for everyone to get familiar with one another, for the coaches to get to know the players and how to best utilize them.”
When assessing what the Red Wings’ lineup might look like this season, Yzerman said a lot will be determined by players trying to earn, keep or find their place.
“It’s important they recognize there’s competition not only for jobs, but for ice time,” Yzerman said. “I believe that competition is really healthy and it’s going to push guys to perform. I believe good athletes, mentally strong guys, really enjoy that challenge.
“Some of the players have to recognize, ‘I got to perform. I might lose my spot on this line. I might lose my spot in the lineup.’ We got some depth at a lot of positions now. Hopefully, that translates to us being a better team as well.”
And he formulated his expectations for the team’s improvement thusly:
Yzerman, who’s entering his third year as Red Wings GM, said he wants to see Detroit continue developing its identity as a tough team to compete against.
“If our team can be a harder team to play against and be more competitive in games, that’s improvement for us,” Yzerman said. “That’s advancing for us.”
