The Detroit Red Wings will miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the 10th consecutive year. It will be the seventh under General Manager Steve Yzerman. Remember, Yzerman left the Tampa Bay Lightning to return to Detroit and build a winner. He had written well for the Lightning before they became a dominant force under new GM Julien BriseBois.
However, the past few seasons have been painful for a team that was in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs but missed out due to a lackluster game in the Washington Capitals. For a team that was in first place in the Atlantic Division on January 25, 2026, missing the playoffs will not go down well with the fans, but the players.
Some Players on the Detroit Red Wings Feel Steve Yzerman Is Too Patient
However, Steve Yzerman must feel the pressure in Detroit. While reports say owner Chris Ilitch is no Mike Ilitch and there is loyalty to Yzerman, questions must be raised about Yzerman’s future as general manager.
At some point, the Red Wings have to make the playoffs. The Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators have gone back to back years, making the playoffs. Detroit saw the Buffalo Sabers end their 14-year drought. The Red Wings now hold the longest streak at 10 years. Teams like Ottawa, Philadelphia, Columbus, Boston, and Washington passed him on the list.
As Elliotte Friedman discussed on the 32 Thoughts Podcast on Monday, the fate of Detroit Red Wings General Manager Steve Yzerman will come down to whether he still wants to be there.
Writing for NHLRumors.com
Elliotte Friedman: “And we’ll talk more about these teams in the next pod, as we get time to process it. But if, I’m shocked, I can only imagine what the die-hard Red Wings fans are thinking. And for me, the first question is Yzerman. And, we’re making fun of Yzerman in this pod about him, and how we’ve had our run-ins and things like this in his life, but I respect everything in his life. And I have even more respect for the fact that he doesn’t need to do this.
And he grinds, Yzerman grinds, and he’s won everything a player can win. He won gold medals as a, as GM Olympic. He built Nyazi. He was gone before they started winning trophies, but he built himself up. He doesn’t need this, but he does it because he’s competitive, and he tries to do it the right way.
Steve Yzerman Must Be More Aggressive For Detroit Red Wings To Succeed
And I’m just trying to get it in his head, and part of him will have to say, like, this is so disappointing. Why do I keep coming back and doing this? And for me, I wonder if that’s almost a big decision since the Red Wings want to make a change in that area? And I don’t know, I just, I don’t see him. He doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy who would leave this. Especially since it’s really shocking, but that’s a number one insecure choice. There’s still a chance Detroit could fall short here.
You know that pick, if Detroit was going to win the lottery, it would be the highest pick, and I just, I don’t think anybody would have thought that Detroit would be in that position. But how do you suddenly find yourself in that situation. And people say, ‘Okay, how did this happen?’ I think, for me, the big question about him is, not so much, is he in trouble, but how does he feel about all of this?
And I don’t think he would want to leave. We’ve discussed it in this pod, does he just go out of his way to promote someone I don’t know? I just, I’ve been thinking about this a lot in the last 24 hours, because I think that’s one of the biggest questions people are asking: is Yzerman in trouble?
NHL Rumors: Will the Detroit Red Wings Consider a General Manager Change?
For me, the most unanswerable question is, is there a part of him that says, This is enough? Because of his internal combustion, this happened. He may not be playing, but he feels that disappointment just like everyone else in the jersey.
Questions have been raised about his signings and trades, particularly giving up unprotected first-round pick Justin Faulk while blocking Axel Sandin-Pellikka. Not to mention the poor record in March, Dylan Larkin’s injury, and Patrick Kane’s dumb penalty against the Minnesota Wild that sealed the Red Wings’ fate.
There are many questions, but the main one before splitting the roster is Steve Yzerman’s future with the Detroit Red Wings.
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