Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings Yzerman Not Giving up on Adding to Lineup
Still looking into trade possibilities
Once again this summer, the Detroit Red Wings weren’t able to hit it out of the park as the NHL’s unrestricted free agent period was launching.
GM Steve Yzerman wasn’t surprised by that outcome.
“We’re going into free agency,” Yzerman said. “I think we all recognize that it was going to be difficult all around the league.
This was just a season that, for whatever reason, there weren’t as many what we would all consider high-end free agents available this year. So it wasn’t really a shock to us that we weren’t able to get anything done with any of the bigger-name guys.”
#RedWings GM Steve Yzerman: “We didn’t even get a chance to talk to those guys (the top free agents). They all signed with their clubs or were traded before free agency. Not much we can do about that.” #LGRW
— NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) July 3, 2025
While that result is leading a portion of the team’s fan base to lose hope, Yzerman isn’t giving up.
He intends to once again begin exploring the trade route as a method of bringing the necessary upgrades to his team.
“What I intend to do is once things settle down here and we get through the holiday weekend, would be to circle back after next week with everyone to see what their plans are for the offseason,” Yzerman said. “See if they have any holes to fill or players for whatever reason they want to move. So we’ll see if anything comes up here in the next week or so.”
Red Wings Didn’t Address Some Major Needs
Yzerman was able to go the trade route to significantly upgrade his goaltending by getting John Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks. However, two other glaring needs – a top-six forward and a top-four defenseman – went unfulfilled.
Steve Yzerman says there are still Trades on the Table for the Detroit Red Wings 👀 pic.twitter.com/WmxxGPtVLm
— Woodward Sports Network (@woodwardsports) July 3, 2025
“I’d love to add both of those things,” Yzerman admitted. “It would make us better for sure.”
Can he accomplish this via trade? At this juncture, that’s his only option. But that doesn’t mean he’ll be achieving this objective.
“Still got a long offseason and a long way to go till the trade deadline and whatever,” Yzerman said. “So we just kind of keep sticking with it.”
Hi! I’m Po Da Hit. Little ceasar give up on SY. I have nothing else to say but that over and over.
What I’m getting is that he thinks he tries as hard or harder than the rest and its a crapshoot for any detroit gm at this point. You cant force deals and “win”. You can’t force free agents to accept your money and this is where we are. This is why he goes for building through the draft. Its going to be baby steps for progress until something big breaks whenever IF ever. Period. Am I wrong ?
You are Right, only the bad climate in Detroit keeping the UFA’s away is created by, for the most part, Yzerman himself. He is the one that gave away Hornek, paid to give away Walman, failed to resign Perron or Ghost and made 6/7 of the poorest signings is recent years. He continues to keep the prospects in GR not giving them a chance to see what they can do. There is a reason that the Wings have been passed in the rebuild by Ottawa, Montreal, Columbus etc. What GM in NHL history has missed the off season for as many years in a row as him and kept his job.
In spite of all of that,I think the core Wings are one, maybe two surprises from nullifying negative conversation and flipping it around. EVERY working day they ought to be open-mindedly working possibilities to find those players. Are they ? Ask Mr I.
When you speak the truth here you get voted down. His record is terrible. In Tampa he had a better support staff including pro scouting which is off the charts miserable with the Wings. Despite all the glory you hear about his drafting Its time to single out Draper as a failure. He has been a scout for over a dozen years and other than first round layups, that were on every team’s draft board, Draper has produced no solid NHL players in all these years after the first round. What kind of head scout is that? And we won’t even start on the pro scouting. This comment too will be voted down …. But the record doesn’t lie.
Amen
Ghost left on his own He took less money to sign with Carolina. Did you know that? He has also been on six teams? A power play specialist he is awful defensively. Sorry he was not a great loss.
Fortune favors the bold.