DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills looks back at yesterday’s comments made by Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman during his pre-training camp press conference:
“Ultimately, the goal here is to build a team that can compete for a Stanley Cup,” Yzerman said in a Zoom call with the media on Wednesday morning. “We’re going to try to run a good program and continue to improve each season with the goal of becoming a playoff team, and a team that eventually competes for a Stanley Cup.”
In 2024-25, a 39-35-8 (86 points) record saw Detroit finish sixth in the Atlantic Division and five points back of the Montreal Canadiens for the Eastern Conference’s second Wild-Card spot. And now, as it is for all 32 NHL teams, the Red Wings are excited for a clean slate.
There’s plenty of continuity that will be evident right from the get-go this season, as 22 players who saw game action with Detroit last year are set to return.
“I think we know what to expect out of our veteran group,” Yzerman said. “These guys are well-conditioned, all professionals. I don’t expect to see any drop-off in any of them. So really, it comes from our younger guys just improving.”
There’s also building on the foundation that head coach Todd McLellan, who led the team to a 26-18-5 (56 points) record after he and assistant coach Trent Yawney were named to their respective positions on Dec. 26, 2024, established.
“I think coaching the second half of the season gave [McLellan] a really good opportunity, even down the stretch, to get to really know the players on and off the ice as well as how they react in all different situations,” Yzerman said. “I think that will be helpful for him going into the season to maximize all the players’ abilities. And for the players, more of an understanding of what the coaches expect, how they run things, how they run their bench, line combinations and things like that. I think everyone will be a little bit more comfortable, and I say comfortable in a good way, not a negative way. Todd and his staff will push them. I know this group of players is motivated. They have a lot of pride and are driven to make the playoffs as bad as you all want them to do that as well. With more time to prepare, I think it’ll help Todd and the team.”
Continued; so we begin the first full season of the McLellan era.
