The Athletic’s Max Bultman lists 4 priorities for the Red Wings’ next GM or president of hockey operations this morning, suggesting that: The Red Wings need to re-sign Simon Edvinsson and Alex DeBrincat; the team should possibly ink a secondary scorer to replace Patrick Kane; the team needs to resolve the Dylan Larkin situation; and that the entire team’s “hockey ops” departments must be reevaluated:
4. Evaluate players, staff and process
Once the immediate transactions are done, this is really the task that will define much of the new GM’s first year. As with the roster, the new head of hockey operations will be taking over too late in the calendar to make many major changes to any 2026-27 staffing, but taking the first few months to evaluate what (and who) works well and how the organization does things will be foundational to the key decisions that person makes next spring and summer.
The players are one thing — and yes, the new GM will need some time to figure out exactly what is in place and where the biggest needs are before the March trade deadline. But the roster is just the start.
You can expect the new hire to modernize the Red Wings’ operations, and maybe that part can begin during the season. Building out that infrastructure, though, won’t be an overnight change. It will take time. Front offices are growing larger, and scouting, player development, sports science and a robust data operation are all part of the equation. How much of the Red Wings’ current approach needs an overhaul remains to be seen — but that’s exactly what the next GM will be evaluating and updating upon arrival.
Continued (paywall)