The beat writers weigh in on the Yzerman transition

Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman is GM no more, transitioning to the role of senior advisor to CEO and governor Chris Ilitch.

Here are some thoughts from the Wings’ beat writers, and elsewhere:

Detroit Free Press: Helene St. James weighs in…

Yzerman has been Red Wings GM since April 19, 2019. A search for a new head of hockey operations is underway.

It is a stunning but yet not entirely surprising development. Yzerman has struggled to restore the franchise to elite status, and this offseason has been marred by the Wings’ captain, Dylan Larkin, requesting a trade.

Kris Draper and Sean Horcoff have been Yzerman’s assistant general managers of the past couple years.

“Steve’s lifetime of contributions to the Red Wings has meant more to this franchise than words can truly express, and I have the highest level of respect for his continued commitment to our organization,” Ilitch said. “We are thankful for Steve’s hard work and dedication as General Manager and are grateful knowing Steve will remain where he belongs — here with the Red Wings family.”   

And St. James discusses the unresolved Larkin situation:

Continue reading The beat writers weigh in on the Yzerman transition

Tweet of note: Chris Chelios claims that Patrick Kane’s deciding between Buffalo and Chicago

Take this Tweet from CHGO Sports for what you will:

Press release: Grand Rapids Griffins sign Tag Bertuzzi to 1-year contract

Per the Grand Rapids Griffins:

GRIFFINS SIGN TAG BERTUZZI TO ONE-YEAR CONTRACT

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Griffins signed forward Tag Bertuzzi to a one-year contract for the 2026-27 season.   

Bertuzzi, a six-year pro, competed in 14 games last season with the AHL’s Utica Comets in addition to showing 31 points (16-15—31) and 23 penalty minutes in 38 outings with the ECHL’s Adirondack Thunder. Throughout parts of four AHL campaigns from 2022-26, the 25-year-old has one assist and six penalty minutes in 30 appearances split between the Charlotte Checkers (2022-23), Hartford Wolf Pack (2023-24), Belleville Senators (2023-24) and Utica (2024-26). At the ECHL level, Bertuzzi has produced 130 points (62-68—130) and 99 penalty minutes in 170 regular-season games since 2022-23. The Vancouver, British Columbia, native had his best season in 2022-23 in the ECHL when he posted a career-high 52 points (24-28—52) in 64 contests. Bertuzzi is the younger cousin of former Griffin and Detroit Red Wing Tyler Bertuzzi, and the son of former Red Wing Todd Bertuzzi.

Prior to turning pro, Bertuzzi spent four seasons in the OHL with the Guelph Storm (2017-19), Hamilton Bulldogs (2018-20) and Flint Firebirds (2021-22). Throughout 191 career OHL appearances, the 6-foot-1 forward accumulated 112 points (53-59—112) and 98 penalty minutes, adding nine points (5-4—9) in 20 postseason games. He had his best junior season in 2019-20 with Hamilton when he tallied 47 points (25-22—47) in 57 games.

Khan on the Larkin question

MLive’s Ansar Khan believes that the Red Wings’ GM search may yield a resolution to the Dylan Larkin situation that doesn’t involve a trade away from Detroit:

News that Larkin wanted out broke on June 4. Larkin has not spoken publicly about the reason but it’s clearly a combination of the direction of a team that hasn’t reached the playoffs in 10 years and his acrimonious relationship with Yzerman.

Larkin, who has a full no-movement clause, originally submitted a list of three teams he would agree to join – Florida, Minnesota and Vegas. He since added Dallas to the list.

A move to any of those teams was going to be difficult for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the Red Wings’ desire to get back NHL-ready players, including a top-line center, and those clubs’ reluctance to part with such players.

Yzerman has spoken publicly only once since Larkin asked out, after the draft on June 27 when he said he could not guarantee Larkin would be traded and declined to elaborate on the situation or field questions about the matter.

Losing Larkin without acquiring a comparable player would be a huge setback for the team. He has scored 30 or more goals in each of the past five seasons for a team that ranked 30th in the NHL in five-on-five scoring.

Nope. Larkin’s going away.

Nice timing, Civian

I can only laugh at the timing of Bleacher Report’s Sara Civian declaring the Red Wings a 2026 offseason loser:

Loser: The Red Wings

Nothing quite tells you you’re “losing” the offseason like firing your franchise legend of a GM after nearly a decade of stagnation and failure to make the playoffs.

This offseason has been a mess for the Red Wings, and things got messier — but likely better in the long run — as they announced the firing of GM Steve Yzerman on Wednesday morning.

Let’s take a look at the conundrum he found himself in that the next GM will inherit.

Continue reading Nice timing, Civian

Some initial thoughts regarding the Yzerman news

So the Red Wings have moved Steve Yzerman to the role of senior advisor to CEO and Governor Chris Ilitch.

The Wings need a new GM.

Here are some Twitter thoughts about the situation.

What are your thoughts?

TMR’s raising funds for property taxes

I wasn’t going to “blog for free” forever. This blog continues to remain commercial-free, and I’m committed to keeping it that way, but that means that you have to put up with me asking for $ from time to time.

This time around, Aunt Annie and I are requesting assistance for what is an existential issue–remaining in our home.

Aunt Annie and I live on subsistence wages. Between her Social Security check and my State of Michigan paycheck from Adult Services (I thankfully get paid for taking care of her), we make just enough money to barely pay our monthly bills, and no more. We’re a low-income household, and that’s why I can’t do this blog for free.

So we’ve really struggled with paying our property taxes since my mom died six and-a-half years ago. Some years, we’ve been able to get help from our family and friends; last year, Aunt Annie had her jewelry collection melted down so that we could remain in our 55-and-up condominium complex.

This year, we’re “on our own,” so I’ve started a GoFundMe to help us pay the property taxes.

Continue reading TMR’s raising funds for property taxes

Breaking news: Red Wings transition Steve Yzerman from General Manger to Senior Advisor to Governor and CEO Chris Ilitch

A shocker:

RED WINGS ANNOUNCE LEADERSHIP TRANSITION 

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today announced a change in hockey operations leadership, with Steve Yzerman transitioning from his role as Executive Vice President and General Manager. Yzerman will continue serving the organization as senior advisor to Governor and CEO, Chris Ilitch. A search for a new head of hockey operations is underway.

“Steve’s lifetime of contributions to the Red Wings has meant more to this franchise than words can truly express, and I have the highest level of respect for his continued commitment to our organization,” said Ilitch. “We are thankful for Steve’s hard work and dedication as General Manager and are grateful knowing Steve will remain where he belongs – here with the Red Wings family.”   

“I am sincerely grateful to Chris and the entire Ilitch family,” said Yzerman. “This organization has given me incredible opportunities, from my time as a player to the privilege of returning as General Manager. I’ve appreciated every experience throughout the years, and I’m extremely proud to remain part of this great franchise.”

Continue reading Breaking news: Red Wings transition Steve Yzerman from General Manger to Senior Advisor to Governor and CEO Chris Ilitch

Dylan Larkin’s play and contract yield a high trade price that’s ‘Not BS’

Bleacher Report’s Lyle Richardson fires up his “BS Meter” this morning, determining whether the hype regarding 5 significant offseason storylines matches the importance of each individual story. One of his significant stories is the Dylan Larkin situation:

Have the Detroit Red Wings Set Too High a Price for Dylan Larkin?

On June 5, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin had requested a trade. Two days later, Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reported the 29-year-old center listed the Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers as his preferred destinations.

MLive.com’s Ansar Khan reported on July 9 that Larkin had expanded his list to include the Dallas Stars. However, it doesn’t appear the Red Wings are close to moving the two-way center.

Continue reading Dylan Larkin’s play and contract yield a high trade price that’s ‘Not BS’