The Detroit Red Wings ended last season on a sour note. The first half of the 2021/22 season went well, and it looked like they could surprise some people. Then, the second half hit, and it was the Red Wings of the past few seasons.
General manager Steve Yzerman had enough and was determined to make changes with some cap space to fill needs, and he did just that. Yzerman was a Red Wings legend who came into the NHL as a player in this type of situation and knows what it is like to rebuild and start over.
The Red Wings dug themselves a hole during the Ken Holland era by signing players to bad contracts and extending players who should have been let go.
Going into his third season as general manager, Yzerman believes he finally has a team that could possibly make the playoffs and sees a bright future for this team.
There are three questions facing the Red Wings entering the new season.
Yzerman has taken this team and made it his team, slowly putting in pieces that make this team playoff-eligible and once again Stanley Cup contenders. However, he knows it will not be an easy ride getting this team back to where it needs to be.
Rebuilds are long and never easy for the fans or management. Yzerman is a smart man and he knows how this team should look, not how the fans want it to look.
Yzerman is taking his time and molding this team the right way. He is making the necessary moves and not making moves just to make moves.
The Tampa Bay Lightning were not an elite team when he took over, but he made the right moves and now they are in playoff contention every year.
With all of the new players also comes a new head coach, Derek Lalonde, a fresh face that will also have a new voice.
The 2022/23 version of the Detroit Red Wings will look much different than last season. Money was spent, roster voids were filled, and new life has been put into the franchise, which is hoping to make the playoffs after years of struggling.
Yzerman has made sure this team will be competitive and not the same as last season, and not have the same play on the ice. He is committed to making this team fun and exciting yet also hard-working and dedicated to winning.
With all of the new faces, there are three questions facing the Red Wings entering the new season.