Those who seem to be “in the know” regarding Steve Yzerman’s demotion from general manager to advisor to CEO and governor Chris Ilitch have suggested the same thing over the course of different columns, articles and radio “hits.”
They all argue that the peculiar timing of Yzerman’s exit suggests that the GM is the one who decided to walk away from his position, whether it was due to frustration, exasperation regarding the Dylan Larkin situation, or simply wanting “out” of the GM’s role.
The Detroit News’s Bob Wojnowski adds a cogent point here:
Yzerman is a great hockey mind and leader. That doesn't change because it didn't work here. My guess is, with the Larkin impasse, he knew it would take longer to turn around. He didn't want that and I assume Chris Ilitch didn't either. Can we call it a semi-mutual parting?
— Bob Wojnowski (@bobwojnowski) July 16, 2026
It’s very well possible that Yzerman simply didn’t want to retool the rebuild, and chose to let more capable hands deal with the frustration of taking yet another step back in order to take steps forward.
The reason I don’t buy what Wojo is selling is because if Yzerman wanted a quicker fix he would’ve traded for Hughes. Damn the picks and prospects just pander to Larkin and make the majority happy by just making the playoffs. Who cares what happens with Hughes in 2027, especially if you don’t plan on being here long term. After all, there had been rumors that Steve was thinking about retiring last year.
We’ll never know the full truth, but at least Yzerman kept the prospect cupboard full for the next GM.