After a disappointing 2025-26 season, GM Steve Yzerman and the Detroit Red Wings went their separate ways. In retrospect, Yzerman made a few decisions that, in retrospect, were obviously unfavorable for him.
Sadly, these five Yzerman maneuvers came to characterize Yzerman’s time in Motown.
Steve Yzerman and the Detroit Red Wings made the decision to pursue other paths for a straightforward reason: too many of Yzerman’s decisions fell short of expectations, and too few of them were successful enough to push the Wings into the Stanley Cup playoffs and put an end to a playoff drought that has now lasted ten seasons.
It’s evident why Red Wings fans have become so frustrated with the Yzerman era in retrospect: Yzerman had more opportunity than most NHL GMs ever have to complete the landing, and the fact that he and the club waited until after the NHL draft and free agency period were long gone to declare the end of the Yzerman regime as general manager speaks to the reality that the Wings were unable to do this properly.
However, which moves by Yzerman serve as warning tales that the next Red Wings GM ought to pay attention to? Five Yzerman moves in Detroit that the next Red Wings general manager must steer clear of as they guide the team back to relevance are included below.
