The multi-talented Sean Shapiro of EliteProspects/DLLS Stars/Shap Shots offers a theory as to where the Detroit Red Wings’ problems began over the course of the Yzerplan this morning, via his Shap Shots Substack blog.

According to Shapiro, the noticeably absent Chris Ilitch hasn’t helped, but not having an assistant GM who challenged Yzerman, such as Julien Brisebois in Tampa Bay, afforded Yzerman too much autonomy to stick with his gut and make his own decisions:

In Tampa, BriseBois pushed and internally battled Yzerman. As one source put it, BriseBois wasn’t afraid to battle Yzerman and that attitude led to mutual respect, where the Lightning GM had a right-hand man he trusted to protect him and advise him. Yzerman never had that in Detroit.

Yzerman arrived as a larger-than-life figure, someone who’s playing career overshadowed anything and everyone in the organization, and with so many former players, that Yzerman captained, on staff, no one ever challenged the general manager.

Yzerman didn’t ask for advice, and he tried to do so many things himself. It’s too big of a job for one person, and without someone on staff, like he had in BriseBois in Tampa, pushing and challenging for a bigger piece of the pie, Yzerman was basically acting alone in many factors.

One agent told me that when Yzerman was in Tampa, there was mutual respect for contract negotiations between both Yzerman and BriseBois. In Detroit, the agent said he never spoke to anyone other than Yzerman, no matter how big or small the deal was.

In fact, Yzerman’s demeanor and downfall in Detroit, is something I’ve been told that other GMs have taken notice of and learned lessons from. Mathieu Darche, the New York Islanders GM, for example, hired Evan Gold, one source said, because he wanted an assistant GM that wasn’t afraid to push him and challenge him.

Continued (paywall) with some interesting takes on Chris Ilitch and his unwillingness to do interviews…