The Detroit Red Wings had a terrible finish to the 2024-25 season. There were too many mistakes and inconsistencies, not enough prodouction from the bottom six, and not enough stability from the defense outside of Moritz Seider and Simon Edvinsson. Recently, things have gotten a bit hostile with captain Dylan Larkin and general manager Steve Yzerman. Where will it end?
Tensions rose after captain's comments
Larkin has voiced his displeasure with the lack of moves at the trade deadline. He felt Yzerman needed to make moves to give this team a needed boost. Yzerman stood pat at the deadline and Detroit continued its free fall in the second half of the season.
There is no telling how many other players felt this way, but Larkin could have been speaking for the group as a whole. During the exit interviews, Yzerman he said he had spoke to Larkin directly about the comments, and that he would leave it to Larkin as to if he wanted to comment what was said. Yzerman said he would no longer comment about the issue.
Anger throughout the organization?
Is this just everyone voicing their displeasure about last season? Or is there something else to the situation? Normally, when a player disagrees with the general manager or head coach and it becomes public, that person is let go and the player stays.
Does this mean Yzerman may look at dealing Larkin for his public comments? While that seems crazy, it could be a thought Yzerman has. Are there trust issues with the players concerning Red Wings management and the lack of progression with this team?
Failure to make the playoffs is a big deal. However, when you do not make the playoffs for more than five seasons, your organization gets a bit worried and that could carry on throughout the roster. This franchise set the bar high after continuous playoff appearances and numerous Stanley Cups. That bar has been lowered and fans wonder what is next.
It is not a healthy environment when management and the captain are having issues off the ice. Tension is high and we wonder what is next for this organization going forward. This could be a huge offseason roster-wise that could change the landscape of the 2025-26 season. Is there even more pressure on Yzerman to be more aggressive in free agency now?