Steve Yzerman's Red Wings future may not be what it seemed
Steve Yzerman is out of the Detroit Red Wings' next front office, and the news is being read as a clean slate. It is not one.
Max Bultman of The Athletic reported that Yzerman will not be involved in hockey decisions under Detroit's next leadership group, despite an advisory title on the search committee.
Re Red Wings: "While the initial announcement...said that Steve Yzerman will serve in an advisory capacity on the search committee...my understanding remains that Yzerman will not be involved in hockey decisions in the next front office."
- Max Bultman
- Max Bultman
That distinction is real, but it applies to authority, not options.
The next general manager inherits the same locked door Yzerman has been standing behind since June.
The clause does not care who signs the trade
Dylan Larkin's eight-year, $8.7 million deal, signed March 1, 2023, carries a full no-trade clause until July 1, 2028. Only then does it soften into a 10-team list.
Larkin submitted Florida, Minnesota and Vegas, and Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reported he has not expanded it.
Pierre LeBrun reported Yzerman found none of the offers acceptable.
A new executive does not reset that. He arrives in August with the same three buyers, the same clause and less time.
That matters beyond Detroit. Any team told to wait for the new decision-maker is waiting for a change that does not touch the clause.
Why the timing hurts more than the title
Yzerman already ran the draft and the first wave of free agency, so the obvious leverage points are gone. Cap space around the league has largely been spent, and contenders have set their rosters.
Bultman also reported that no other team is currently searching for a general manager, which is why Detroit feels unhurried. The cost of that patience lands on Todd McLellan, who opens camp without knowing whether his captain is in the room.
The honest version is duller than the drama.
Detroit changed who signs the paperwork, not what the paperwork can say.
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