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Steve Yzerman and Todd McLellan are staring at a Red Wings finish that feels bigger than one bad week.
Detroit’s slide has changed the tone around the front office fast. The Red Wings are 4-5-1 in their last 10 games, and that has dragged them into a tense finish in the East.
What makes this story different is that the pressure no longer sits only on the roster. It’s now drifting toward Yzerman and what kind of role he wants next.
An Elliotte Friedman report pushed that idea into the open this week. The key line was simple: Yzerman may be “hugely frustrated.”
That matters because this doesn’t sound like a firing watch. It sounds more like a respected hockey executive deciding whether his run as the day-to-day architect is nearing its end.
“I have no doubt that he’s hugely frustrated… The one thing that I kind of wonder about, and I’ve heard a little bit of rumor to that effect, is maybe does he kind of give another person the GM chair and have that person have a bigger imprint on the organization. I just wonder if he would think about giving someone else a bigger voice in the process as opposed to him doing both jobs himself.”
Friedman’s theory is that Yzerman could stay in the organization, move above the general manager chair, and let another voice run more of the daily process.
Detroit may be heading for a front-office shift
That’s why this feels like Yzerman leaving on his own terms, not being pushed out. There’s a big difference between walking away from the grind and walking away from the franchise.
The names attached to that possibility were Kris Draper and Shawn Horcoff. Both are already assistant general managers, which makes this less of an outside search story and more of a succession story.
Friedman also said the idea would “empower somebody else,” and that line may be the clearest clue here.
Detroit may be reaching the point where Yzerman wants influence without carrying every front-office file himself.
The timing fits. Detroit was supposed to push into the playoffs, but instead the club has slipped to fifth in the Atlantic and sits two points out of a wild-card spot.
That kind of finish always brings hard questions, especially after a quiet stretch of roster management.
The report notes Yzerman made one move this year, bringing in Justin Faulk, while the forward group still lacked help.
There’s also a sense that the organization is nearing a handoff point, whether it happens now or after one more push. Yzerman has been Detroit’s general manager since April 19, 2019.
If the Red Wings miss again, this won’t sound like the end of Yzerman in Detroit. It’ll sound like the end of Yzerman running every part of it.
Previously on Detroit Hockey Insider
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Steve Yzerman may give up Red Wings GM role as Detroit’s season slips away
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