Here’s what NHL.com’s Nicholas J. Cotsonika took away from Steve Yzerman and Alex DeBrincat’s respective press conferences:
Amid their many moves in that time, they have kept or added some players with local ties. They signed center Andrew Copp, who grew up in Ann Arbor and played at the University of Michigan, to a five-year contract with an AAV of $5.625 million as an unrestricted free agent July 13, 2022.
They signed captain Dylan Larkin, who grew up in the Detroit area (Waterford) and played at Michigan, to an eight-year contract with an AAV of $8.7 million March 1, keeping him from becoming a UFA.
They signed center J.T. Compher, who grew up in the Chicago (Northbrook) area but played at Michigan, to a five-year contract with an AAV of $5.1 million as a UFA on July 1. And now they’ve added DeBrincat and locked him down for four years.
“Ultimately, I want really good players,” Yzerman said. “I don’t care where they’re from, but I think it is a bonus.”
These players are familiar with the Detroit area and each other. They have extra incentive to play for the Red Wings, persevere through hard times and help them take the next step. And they can connect with the fans through something as simple as genuinely wearing a Pistons hat, because, as DeBrincat said, “it’s just a cool hat.”
“If they’re free agents, they want to be there for some reason,” Yzerman said. “I think the players with local ties, I think there’s an added benefit to it. When you target a specific place for the right reasons — for very good reasons and not just going to, say, get the top dollar — I think the player’s more invested in it.”
