DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills offers one more examination of the comments made by Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman as he spoke with the media yesterday afternoon:
“I think we’re in with that group of teams that has a chance to compete for the playoffs,” Yzerman said at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday. “If we stay healthy, if our goaltending is good and players outplay your expectations, we might get in. Or you might just miss by a point on the last game of the season. That’s the fine line of it all. I look at the roster today and compare it to last year’s group; it’s a little bit different. It might be a little bit better fit as far as roles for players where they sit on the roster today.”
Detroit made several key moves on the eve of free agency on Sunday, re-signing Patrick Kane to a one-year deal and extending qualifying offers to restricted free agents Lucas Raymond, Moritz Seider, Jonatan Berggren and Joe Veleno.
“We will get contracts done with them,” Yzerman said about the club’s four restricted free agents. “It’s just a question of when and what term we do on all of them.”
…
Detroit finished with 91 points last season, an 11-point improvement from the 2022-23 campaign. To take another step forward this season, Yzerman said internal improvement will be key.
“We expect a little more out of Lucas Raymond,” Yzerman said. “Alex DeBrincat, his shooting percentage for his career was down a little bit last year. The great scoring chances that he had, hit the bar and went out. We think that’ll contribute a little more.”
Yzerman said he is confident in his long-term vision for the Red Wings, who he knows will face higher expectations this season.
“Ultimately we’re still trying to put together that core of young guys who are going to be together and start to creep into the playoffs, hang around in the playoffs then eventually win,” Yzerman said. “That is the long-term plan. We’ll stick with that. We try to surround these young players with good people and better hockey players to help them become better players and slowly inch forward.”
