Detroit Red Wings: Steve Yzerman has already begun leaving his mark

Yzerman’s Best Deals

First, let’s start with a minor deal, which has paid dividends thus far for Tampa. That’s what best reflects the deals he has made so far. On July 1, 2017, the Tampa Bay Lightning traded AHL goaltender Kristers Gudlevskis to the New York Islanders in exchange for former Maple Leafs third-round pick Carter Verhaeghe.

Gudlevskis is no longer in the NHL, as he moved his talents overseas to the KHL following the 2017-18 NHL season. Meanwhile, Verhaeghe has had a long road which, at long last, has been realized. He made the Lightning roster to start the year, playing in 10 games so far with one assist. Verhaeghe has outstanding possession statistics, with both his corsi-for% and fenwick-for% over 50% despite averaging very little ice time.

One of his most brilliant trades was another buy-low deal which paid huge dividends. On April 3, 2013, Yzerman sent a 2013 fourth-round pick and undrafted forward Cory Conacher to the Ottawa Senators for Ben Bishop. Conacher has since returned to Tampa’s organization, playing for their AHL affiliate Syracuse Crunch. Bishop went on to become one of the greatest goaltenders in franchise history.

This deal is hands-down the greatest Yzerman trade, in my humble opinion. Ironically enough, it was between the Lightning and Red Wings. On February 21, 2012, in a three-team trade, Tampa dealt Kyle Quincey to the Red Wings in exchange for Detroit’s 2012 first-round pick and Sebastian Piche.

Quincey is now out of the league and was one of the worst defensemen on Detroit’s roster. While Piche didn’t turn out to be much of anything, that 2012 first-round pick turned into the defending Vezina Trophy winner Andrei Vasilevskiy.

Finally, Yzerman’s biggest trade among the aforementioned deals came on February 26, 2017. The Lightning dealt Bishop to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for veteran goalie Peter Budaj, young defenseman Erik Cernak, and two seventh-round picks in 2017.

Bishop continued his struggles that season in Los Angeles and left them in free agency to join the Dallas Stars. Meanwhile, Budaj played 15 games in Tampa, where he won games but did not have appealing stats. However, it was enough to ease the young Vasilevskiy into a starting role, which would wind up playing a major factor in his development.

Cernak got called up mid-way through the 2018-19 season on an emergency basis. He impressed fans and coaches alike, solidifying his roster spot through just several games. Cernak has since been a part of one of the most successful defensive lines in the NHL, alongside Ryan McDonagh.

There were many, many deals that Yzerman made with Tampa that will go down as some of the best trades ever made. It’s no secret that he is arguably the best GM in the NHL today. A quick look into what he has done in the past with Tampa sheds a bright light on the potentially dominant future ahead for the Red Wings organization. He’s already off to a fast start.