The Detroit Red Wings stand at a historic and devastating crossroads. The franchise has just completed its tenth consecutive season without postseason hockey, representing seven straight years of failure under the leadership of Executive Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman.¹ When Yzerman returned to Detroit in 2019, his arrival was met with a level of trust that almost no other hockey executive could command.¹ Colloquially dubbed the “Yzerplan,” his strategy promised a methodical, patient reconstruction designed to transition the team from the cellar of the National Hockey League back to sustainable, championship-calibre prominence.¹

Seven years later, that patience has yielded only stagnation.¹ Rather than progressing toward contention, Detroit has settled into the “mushy middle” of the standings—failing to qualify for the playoffs while simultaneously picking outside of the premium draft lottery window that yields franchise-altering talents.¹ The structural failure of this rebuilding philosophy was exposed in June of 2026 when captain Dylan Larkin formally requested a trade, citing a decade of missed expectations and mounting frustration with the front office’s transactional philosophy.⁵ To prevent further asset depreciation, rectify catastrophic pro-scouting deficiencies, and chart a modern course forward, the Detroit Red Wings must move on from Steve Yzerman.⁵

The Coaching Carousel and the Failure of Internal Continuity

A key tenet of Yzerman’s executive reputation was established during his tenure with the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he inherited a highly structured organization and benefited from the internal rise of world-class head coach Jon Cooper.² In Detroit, however, Yzerman has struggled to find a coaching match capable of guiding a young roster through the transition from developmental projects to disciplined, competitive professionals.²

This systemic coaching volatility was underscored by the mid-season firing of head coach Derek Lalonde, who was subsequently replaced by Todd McLellan.⁸ While Lalonde was dismissed in an effort to stabilize a defensively fragile roster, the structural flaws of the team’s construction persisted under McLellan.⁶ Detroit’s coaching staff has repeatedly struggled to prevent late-season collapses.¹ For four consecutive seasons, the Red Wings have remained competitive deep into winter, only to suffer catastrophic spring swoons in March and April.¹

This instability is exacerbated by the spending constraints imposed by the current team ownership.² Unlike his late father Mike Ilitch, who maintained a legendary “spend-at-all-costs” mentality to secure on-ice talent, Chris Ilitch runs a fiscally disciplined operation.² While Chris Ilitch does not cut operational corners, he does not authorize the massive financial bailouts required to paper over bad contracts.² Consequently, Yzerman’s inability to construct an efficient, high-performance roster within rigid budgetary boundaries has left the coaching staff with a deeply flawed lineup consisting of highly paid, low-upside veterans.²

Free Agency Inefficiencies and the Cap Squeeze

The primary mechanism Yzerman used to accelerate the rebuild was free agency, embarking on a series of summer signing sprees beginning in 2022.⁹ At the time, these acquisitions were framed as necessary steps to raise the roster’s competitive floor and shield developing prospects.⁹ In practice, however, these signings have severely compromised Detroit’s long-term financial flexibility while locking up valuable roster spots with rapidly declining assets.⁶

In consecutive offseasons, the front office handed out long-term, high-value contracts to Andrew Copp, Ben Chiarot, and J.T. Compher.¹¹ Rather than serving as high-end supporting pieces, Copp and Compher were brought in to fill the critical second-line center (2C) role.¹¹ Since joining the Red Wings, both players have seen their ice time and point production decrease every season, forcing them into roles a line above where they should ideally play.⁹

Furthermore, Yzerman’s management of internal contract structures has consistently drawn criticism.¹² While Moritz Seider signed a seven-year, $8.55 million AAV contract and Lucas Raymond secured an eight-year, $8.075 million AAV deal, the team’s internal cap structure has been warped by the overpayment of depth players.¹² The signing of veteran Justin Holl to a three-year, $10.2 million contract in 2023 was a primary example of this inefficiency, as Holl was quickly demoted to the American Hockey League (AHL) before being used as a contract dump.¹⁴

Significant Detroit Red Wings Free Agent Signings under Yzerman

Player	Signing Date	Contract Terms	Annual Average Value (AAV)	Subsequent Status & Valuation
Andrew Copp	July 2022 16	5 Years, $28.125 Million 16	$5.625 Million 16	Experienced steady point decline; struggled to drive play as a 2C.11
Ben Chiarot	July 2022 16	4 Years, $19 Million 16	$4.75 Million 16	Registered a career-worst minus-31 in his first year; signed a 3-year extension in Jan 2026.16
J.T. Compher	July 2023 11	5 Years, $25.5 Million 11	$5.1 Million 11	Point totals and ice time have decreased each season since signing.11
Justin Holl	July 1, 2023 14	3 Years, $10.2 Million 14	$3.4 Million 14	Demoted to Grand Rapids (AHL) after playing just 38 NHL games; later traded to St. Louis.14
Ville Husso	July 2022 16	3 Years, $14.25 Million 16	$4.75 Million 16	Posted a modest .892 save percentage before being traded to Anaheim in Feb 2025.16
Shayne Gostisbehere	July 2023 16	1 Year, $4.125 Million 16	$4.125 Million 16	Produced 56 points but was allowed to walk to Carolina over term demands.6
Erik Gustafsson	July 1, 2024 18	2 Years, $4.0 Million 18	$2.0 Million 18	Signed to replace Gostisbehere; struggled defensively and was waived in October 2025.6
Mason Appleton	July 2025 20	2 Years, Free Agent 20	$2.9 Million 20	Signed to provide bottom-six penalty-killing depth.20

The cumulative effect of these signings has been the creation of a rigid, low-ceiling roster.⁹ When high-performing offensive defensemen like Shayne Gostisbehere express a willingness to return to Detroit, Yzerman’s strict refusal to grant term demands has forced valuable point-producers to sign elsewhere, leaving holes that are subsequently filled with less effective, short-term options.⁶ This approach has kept Detroit’s defence unit in a state of constant transition and fragility.⁶

The Walman-Faulk Trade Fiasco: A Case Study in Asset Depreciation

The most glaring indictment of Yzerman’s professional asset management is the circular and highly damaging series of defensive trades executed between June of 2024 and March of 2026.⁶ This sequence represents a massive extraction of value from the organization, directly contributing to the team’s ongoing lack of defensive depth.⁶

The crisis began on June 25, 2024, when Yzerman traded top-four defenseman Jake Walman and a 2024 second-round draft pick to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for future considerations.²³ The trade was widely criticized as a premature cap dump, with subsequent reports indicating that Yzerman failed to perform league-wide due diligence prior to the deal.⁸ Multiple NHL franchises reportedly would have taken Walman for free had Detroit’s front office made the necessary phone calls, rendering the inclusion of a second-round draft pick entirely unnecessary.⁸

Walman excelled in San Jose, averaging 23:11 of ice time and recording 32 points in 50 games before the Sharks flipped him to the Edmonton Oilers at the 2025 trade deadline in exchange for a conditional first-round pick.²³ Having given away a valuable, affordable defenseman with term remaining on his contract, Yzerman then traded stay-at-home defender Olli Määttä to the Utah Hockey Club in October of 2024 for a third-round selection, further stripping the blue line of reliable defensive presence.²⁶

Desperate to repair the structural holes on the blue line, Yzerman panicked at the March 2026 trade deadline.⁶ He executed a blockbuster trade with the St. Louis Blues to acquire 33-year-old defenseman Justin Faulk, who is signed to a heavy $6.5 million AAV contract through 2027.¹⁴ The cost to acquire Faulk was astronomical, requiring Detroit to surrender their own unprotected 2026 first-round draft pick, a 2026 third-round pick, defenseman Justin Holl, and highly rated 22-year-old Russian forward prospect Dmitri Buchelnikov, who had been dominating the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) with CSKA.¹⁴

Comparative Defensive Trade Sequences

Date	Player Outgoing	Asset Incoming	Associated Cost / Sweetener Paid	Long-Term Strategic Valuation
June 2024	Jake Walman 23	Future Considerations 23	2024 2nd-Round Pick 23	Catastrophic value loss; Walman was subsequently flipped by San Jose for a 2026 1st-round pick.23
October 2024	Olli Määttä 26	2025 3rd-Round Pick (NYR) 26	None 26	Removed a reliable stay-at-home defender to clear cap and roster space.27
March 2026	Dmitri Buchelnikov 22	Justin Faulk 14	2026 1st-Round Pick, 2026 3rd-Round Pick, Justin Holl 14	Panic acquisition of a 33-year-old defender that cost a premium first-round pick and a top-tier prospect.6

The net result of this transaction loop is a self-inflicted wound.⁶ Yzerman gave away Walman and a second-round pick, only to expend a first-round pick, a third-round pick, and a premier young offensive prospect in Buchelnikov less than two years later to acquire an older, more expensive equivalent in Justin Faulk.⁶ This circular asset management demonstrates a complete lack of long-term planning and professional roster design.⁶

Goaltending Mismanagement and the Crease Crisis

The inability to find a reliable, long-term starting goaltender has been a defining issue of Yzerman’s seven years in Detroit.² The front office has repeatedly opted for short-term veteran gambles rather than executing a systemic development plan at the NHL level.²

This pattern continued during the 2025 offseason when the Red Wings traded for 31-year-old Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson.³¹ To complete the deal, Detroit absorbed Gibson’s entire salary without retention, sending veteran Petr Mrazek, a 2027 second-round pick, and a 2026 fourth-round pick to Anaheim.³¹ While the trade was designed to secure a legitimate starter, the acquisition aged horribly within the first month of the 2025–26 campaign.³³

Gibson struggled immediately in Detroit, allowing 22 goals over his first seven starts to register a dismal 0.875 save percentage and a GAA exceeding 3.20.³³ His physical decline forced head coach Todd McLellan to rely on backup Cam Talbot as a “1A” starter, despite Talbot posting a modest 0.897 save percentage and 2.94 GAA.⁸ The trade looked particularly poor in comparison to the success of Alex Lyon, whom Yzerman allowed to walk in free agency.¹⁶ Lyon signed with the Buffalo Sabres and immediately excelled, posting a 0.912 save percentage, a 2.90 GAA, and a 0.778 quality starts percentage.³³

Goaltending Statistical Comparison: 2025–26 Season

Goaltender (Team)	Save Percentage (SV%)	Goals Against Average (GAA)	Quality Starts Percentage (QS%)	Status / Acquisition Cost
John Gibson (Detroit)	0.875 33	3.20+ 33	<0.400 33	Acquired for Mrazek, a 2nd-round pick, and a 4th-round pick.31
Cam Talbot (Detroit)	0.897 33	2.94 33	0.600 33	Forced into heavy starting volume due to Gibson’s immediate decline.33
Alex Lyon (Buffalo)	0.912 33	2.90 33	0.778 33	Allowed to leave Detroit in free agency; thrived as a high-end starter in Buffalo.33

While Yzerman has hoarded highly regarded goaltending prospects Sebastian Cossa and Trey Augustine in the minor league system, his refusal to package either prospect in a blockbuster trade to land an elite, established young center has kept the active NHL roster structurally weak.² By the time Cossa or Augustine are fully ready to assume starting NHL roles, they will likely be solving the problems of Yzerman’s successor rather than helping the current core win now.²

The Drafting Plateau and Middle-Round Deficiencies

A common defence of the Yzerplan is Yzerman’s ability to draft and develop talent.⁶ While the general manager successfully identified franchise cornerstones Moritz Seider (6th overall, 2019), Lucas Raymond (4th overall, 2020), and Simon Edvinsson (6th overall, 2021) with Detroit’s high first-round picks, a successful rebuild cannot be sustained on first-round draft capital alone.⁴

In Tampa Bay, Yzerman earned a reputation for finding middle-to-late round gems, drafting Nikita Kucherov (58th overall), Ondrej Palat (208th overall), and Brayden Point (79th overall) to build a championship core.¹¹ In Detroit, however, this draft-day touch has been entirely absent.¹¹ Through seven drafts with the Red Wings, Yzerman has failed to develop a single player drafted outside of the first round into a permanent, high-impact NHL contributor.¹¹ To date, first-round defenseman Moritz Seider has played more NHL games than every single second-to-seventh-round pick drafted by Yzerman combined.³⁴

Draft Production Outside Round 1 (2019–Present)

Drafting Team	Core Skaters Drafted in Rounds 2–7	Key Development Metric / Success Story	Detroit Comparison
Montreal Canadiens	Lane Hutson 34	Recorded 146 points in 166 career games.34	No active equivalents outside first-round picks.11
Ottawa Senators	Ridley Greig 34	Played 247 games with 104 points.34	Skaters outside Round 1 have combined for under 390 GP.34
Buffalo Sabres	John-Jason Peterka 34	Established as an impactful, top-six NHL winger.34	Depth drafting has failed to produce top-six wing talent.6

This draft plateau has forced Yzerman to repeatedly rely on free agency to fill middle-six roster spots, creating the very cap squeeze that has crippled the rebuild.⁹ Furthermore, the amateur scouting department has consistently favoured safe, high-floor, low-ceiling players with their first-round selections, drafting prospects like Marco Kasper and Nate Danielson over dynamic, high-upside offensive threats.⁹

Kasper and Danielson are increasingly projected by professional scouts as reliable third-line checking centers rather than the elite second-line center (2C) Detroit desperately needs to insulate its top line.⁶ This drafting philosophy has left the team without a dynamic, high-scoring center pipeline, capping the roster’s offensive ceiling.⁶

The Ultimate Indictment: The Dylan Larkin Trade Conundrum

The ultimate failure of the Yzerplan was confirmed in June of 2026, when team captain Dylan Larkin formally requested a trade out of Detroit.⁵ Drafted during the Ken Holland era, Larkin has served as the emotional leader of the franchise.¹ However, after a decade of missed expectations, during which he appeared in only five career playoff games, the captain’s patience has run out.¹

The deterioration of Larkin’s relationship with the front office is directly attributable to Yzerman’s cold, transactional approach to executive leadership.⁵ Tensions first surfaced during the highly contentious 2023 contract negotiations, where Larkin felt undervalued before signing his eight-year, $8.7 million AAV extension.⁵ The relationship deteriorated further due to Yzerman’s repeated refusal to support the locker room at critical competitive moments.⁵

During the 2024–25 season, as the Red Wings hovered on the verge of a playoff wild card berth, Larkin publicly expressed the players’ desire for a trade-deadline acquisition to provide a physical and moral boost.¹ Yzerman responded coldly to the media, stating that he expected his highly paid leaders to provide their own moral boosts.⁴ Demoralized by the front office’s inaction, the team collapsed immediately and missed the postseason.¹

With Larkin’s formal request made, the organization must set aside nostalgia and manage the situation pragmatically.⁵ Larkin has submitted a list of approved teams, forcing Yzerman to navigate complex trade discussions to maximize the return on Detroit’s premier asset.⁵

Potential Trade Packages for Dylan Larkin (June 2026)

Target Franchise	Primary Assets Offered	Draft Compensation	Strategic Value to Detroit’s Rebuild
Los Angeles Kings	Quinton Byfield, Alex Laferriere 5	2026 1st-Round Pick 5	Run by Ken Holland; offers an elite, young potential 1C in Byfield to jumpstart the post-Larkin era.5
Seattle Kraken	Shane Wright, Matty Beniers, or Berkly Catton 5	7th Overall Pick (2026) 5	Front office is highly aggressive; offers premium young center prospects and a top-10 draft selection.5
San Jose Sharks	Will Smith, William Eklund, or Michael Misa 5	2nd Overall Pick (2026) 5	Offers highly valuable trade chips and elite young assets to pair with Seider and Raymond.5
Utah Mammoth	Tij Iginla, Caleb Desnoyers, or Cole Beaudoin 5	Future Draft Capital 5	Aggressive in the trade market; packages J.J. Peterka with elite forward prospects.5
Florida Panthers	Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen, Mackie Samoskevich 5	9th Overall Pick (2026) 5	Provides an established young center in Lundell alongside a top-10 draft selection.5
Columbus Blue Jackets	Kent Johnson, Cole Sillinger, Cayden Lindstrom 5	14th Overall, 2026 3rd & 5th-Round Picks 5	Comprehensive package featuring young NHL playmakers and high-ceiling center prospects.5
Toronto Maple Leafs	Pure Cap Relief (Absorbs entire $8.7M contract) 5	Future Draft Selections 5	Clean salary cap fit; Maple Leafs possess $22M in cap space to absorb Larkin’s hit without retention.5

Larkin’s trade request represents the definitive end of the current rebuild.⁵ By failing to construct a competitive team around their captain, the front office has forced the organization into a position where they must execute a forced sell-off of their remaining veteran assets.⁵

With only Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat remaining as established top-six forwards, Yzerman has effectively returned the Detroit Red Wings to square one of a painful, multi-year rebuilding cycle.⁵

Actionable Path Forward

The Detroit Red Wings can no longer afford to operate under the assumption that patience alone will resolve the roster’s structural issues.¹ To prevent further decline and salvage the prime years of Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond, the organization must transition to a modern front office model.²

First, the front office must maximize the return on the impending Dylan Larkin trade.⁵ The organization must refuse any packages that focus on draft-pick quantity, instead demanding a centrepiece return of a young, NHL-ready top-six center under team control, such as Quinton Byfield, Shane Wright, or Anton Lundell.⁵ Failing to secure a dynamic, young center to lead the post-Larkin era would represent a catastrophic failure of asset maximization.⁵

Second, the Red Wings must commit to a realistic draft-and-develop timeline within Chris Ilitch’s budget, rather than attempting to accelerate the process through high-priced veteran free-agent signings.² Detroit must weaponize its remaining cap space to acquire draft capital, actively taking on bad short-term contracts from cap-strapped contenders in exchange for first and second-round draft picks.

Third, the organization must establish tactical coaching stability.² The front office must support head coach Todd McLellan or a modern successor with a roster constructed for speed and defensive structure, rather than a collection of overpaid, low-upside depth players.²

The romanticism surrounding Steve Yzerman’s legendary playing career must no longer dictate the Detroit Red Wings’ business operations.¹ For the long-term health of the franchise, the organization must thank Yzerman for his service and transition to a forward-thinking, analytically driven front office.¹

Works cited

1. Time To Turn The Page: Has The ‘Yzerplan’ Completely Failed?, accessed June 8, 2026, https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/time-to-turn-the-page-has-the-yzerplan-completely-failed
2. Why Has The Red Wings Yzerplan Failed – Hockey HotStove, accessed June 8, 2026, https://hockeyhotstove.com/why-has-the-red-wings-yzerplan-failed/
3. The Yzerplan Fooled Us All.. – YouTube, accessed June 8, 2026, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEi0Ft8Icac
4. How did Dylan Larkin and the Red Wings end up here?, accessed June 8, 2026, https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/how-did-dylan-larkin-and-the-red-wings-end-up-here/
5. How the Red Wings Should Manage Dylan Larkin’s Trade Request …, accessed June 8, 2026, https://thehockeywriters.com/red-wings-strategy-for-dylan-larkin-trade-request/
6. Blog-Style Post: The Yzerplan has Failed. The Organization needs a …, accessed June 8, 2026, https://www.reddit.com/r/DetroitRedWings/comments/1rstil1/blogstyle_post_the_yzerplan_has_failed_the/
7. Steve Yzerman – General Manager, Detroit Red Wings (NHL) – Elite Prospects, accessed June 8, 2026, https://www.eliteprospects.com/staff/101/steve-yzerman
8. SJHN Daily: Yzerman Didn’t ‘Put In the Work’ Before Walman Trade?, accessed June 8, 2026, https://sanjosehockeynow.com/san-jose-sharks-jake-walman-steve-yzerman-trade-links/
9. Is the Wings’ rebuild fundamentally flawed? : r/DetroitRedWings – Reddit, accessed June 8, 2026, https://www.reddit.com/r/DetroitRedWings/comments/1srwepy/is_the_wings_rebuild_fundamentally_flawed/
10. Why we’re not in as bad of a spot as it looks, or “how I looked at our history and realized Yzerman is doing everything he can to pull us out of the gutter” : r/DetroitRedWings – Reddit, accessed June 8, 2026, https://www.reddit.com/r/DetroitRedWings/comments/1slblud/why_were_not_in_as_bad_of_a_spot_as_it_looks_or/
11. Stevie, Y? The Failure of the Yzer-Plan – Loco Mag, accessed June 8, 2026, https://locomag.com/stevie-y-the-failure-of-the-yzer-plan/
12. [AFP Analytics] Contract projections for Detroit’s free agents and extension eligible players : r/DetroitRedWings – Reddit, accessed June 8, 2026, https://www.reddit.com/r/DetroitRedWings/comments/1tgv29q/afp_analytics_contract_projections_for_detroits/
13. Steve Yzerman – NHL Salary Data – CapWages, accessed June 8, 2026, https://capwages.com/gms/steve-yzerman
14. Faulk traded to Red Wings by Blues for Holl, 2026 Draft picks | NHL …, accessed June 8, 2026, https://www.nhl.com/news/justin-faulk-traded-to-detroit-red-wings-by-st-louis-blues
15. Red Wings reduce roster to 23 – NHL.com, accessed June 8, 2026, https://www.nhl.com/redwings/news/red-wings-reduce-roster-to-23-2025
16. Grading Steve Yzerman’s Free Agent Signings as Red Wings GM – The Hockey Writers, accessed June 8, 2026, https://thehockeywriters.com/grading-red-wings-yzerman-free-agent-signings/
17. Detroit Red Wings Transactions 2025-26 – CBS Sports, accessed June 8, 2026, https://www.cbssports.com/nhl/teams/DET/detroit-red-wings/transactions/
18. Red Wings Sign Power Play Specialist Gustafsson to Two-Year Deal, accessed June 8, 2026, https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/latest-news/red-wings-sign-power-play-specialist-gustafsson-to-two-year-deal
19. Red Wings Put Gustafsson, Holl on Waivers – Winging It In Motown, accessed June 8, 2026, https://www.wingingitinmotown.com/red-wings-put-gustafsson-holl-on-waivers/
20. Yzerman recaps beginning of 2025 NHL Free Agency, Red Wings’ offseason so far, accessed June 8, 2026, https://www.nhl.com/redwings/news/yzerman-recaps-beginning-of-2025-nhl-free-agency-red-wings-offseason-so-far
21. Red Wings add veterans Talbot, Tarasenko to complement young core | NHL.com, accessed June 8, 2026, https://www.nhl.com/news/detroit-red-wings-roster-changes-for-2024-25-season
22. Red Wings acquire Justin Faulk from St. Louis Blues in exchange for Dmitri Buchelnikov, Justin Holl, a first-round selection and a third-round pick in 2026 NHL entry draft, accessed June 8, 2026, https://www.nhl.com/redwings/news/red-wings-acquire-justin-faulk-from-st-louis-blues-in-exchange-for-dmitri-buchelnikov-justin-holl-a-first-round-selection-and-a-third-round-pick-in-2026-nhl-entry-draft
23. Jake Walman Trade To Oilers Leaves Red Wings Fans Flabbergasted, accessed June 8, 2026, https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/players/jake-walman-trade-to-oilers-leaves-red-wings-fans-flabbergasted
24. Still wincing over the Walman trade – The Malik Report, accessed June 8, 2026, https://themalikreport.com/2025/09/10/still-wincing-over-the-walman-trade/
25. Steve Yzerman’s blunder somehow looks even worse thanks to the Oilers – FanSided, accessed June 8, 2026, https://fansided.com/steve-yzerman-blunder-somehow-looks-even-worse-thanks-to-the-oilers-jake-walman
26. Red Wings acquire third-round pick in 2025 NHL entry draft from Utah Hockey Club in exchange for Olli Määttä, accessed June 8, 2026, https://www.nhl.com/redwings/news/red-wings-acquire-third-round-pick-in-2025-nhl-entry-draft-from-utah-hockey-club-in-exchange-for-olli-maatta
27. Utah Acquires Olli Määttä From Red Wings | Pro Hockey Rumors, accessed June 8, 2026, https://www.prohockeyrumors.com/2024/10/utah-acquires-olli-maatta-from-red-wings.html
28. UPDATE: The #RedWings have acquired Justin Faulk from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for Justin Holl, Dmitiri Buchelnikov, Detroit’s 2026 1st round pick and San Jose’s 2026 3rd round pick. : r/DetroitRedWings – Reddit, accessed June 8, 2026, https://www.reddit.com/r/DetroitRedWings/comments/1rmpn2m/update_the_redwings_have_acquired_justin_faulk/
29. The Detroit Red Wings trade Olli Määttä to the Utah Hockey Club – Octopus Thrower, accessed June 8, 2026, https://octopusthrower.com/the-detroit-red-wings-trade-olli-maatta-to-the-utah-hockey-club-01jbe0xex2zc
30. 7 teams with the best shot at snagging Ruck twins during NHL Draft, accessed June 8, 2026, https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/teams-best-shot-ruck-twins-nhl-draft
31. Red Wings acquire John Gibson from Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Petr Mrázek, a second-round pick in 2027 NHL Entry Draft and a fourth-round pick in 2026 NHL Entry Draft, accessed June 8, 2026, https://www.nhl.com/redwings/news/red-wings-acquire-john-gibson-from-anaheim-ducks-in-exchange-for-petr-mrazek-a-second-round-pick-in-2027-nhl-entry-draft-and-a-fourth-round-pick-in-2026-nhl-entry-draft
32. Ducks Trade John Gibson to the Red Wings for Petr Mrazek, Draft Picks – The Hockey News, accessed June 8, 2026, https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/ducks-trade-john-gibson-to-the-red-wings-for-petr-mrazek-picks
33. It took one month for this Red Wings’ trade to age horribly, accessed June 8, 2026, https://octopusthrower.com/it-took-one-month-for-this-red-wings-trade-to-age-horribly
34. Steve Yzerman’s draft classes so far. : r/DetroitRedWings – Reddit, accessed June 8, 2026, https://www.reddit.com/r/DetroitRedWings/comments/1t4odcr/steve_yzermans_draft_classes_so_far/
35. Since Yzerman has Taken Over in 2019, Every NHL Team Except Detroit has Made Playoffs : r/DetroitRedWings – Reddit, accessed June 8, 2026, https://www.reddit.com/r/DetroitRedWings/comments/1skxgs2/since_yzerman_has_taken_over_in_2019_every_nhl/