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New York Times
5 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Red Wings offseason survey results: Fans split on direction under Steve Yzerman
As the Detroit Red Wings get set for what could be their most anticipated offseason yet under general manager Steve Yzerman, the fan base is split right down the middle when it comes to confidence in the team's direction. That's the big takeaway from our offseason fan survey, with nearly 3,000 of you weighing in on Detroit's front office, the team's trajectory and the level of urgency to get back into the playoffs, among other topics. Thanks to everyone who participated — and especially to those who left comments explaining their votes. There's a lot to get to, so let's dive right in. How's this for a split? The optimists have a slight lean here, with 31.2 percent rating their confidence at a 4 or 5. But 29.5 percent of fans gave it a 1 or 2, meaning there are more or less just as many who are worried about the team's trajectory after yet another year outside the playoffs but without an especially high draft pick. Advertisement The plurality of the fan base, though, is right in the middle — perhaps not knowing exactly what to think at this stage, or wanting to withhold judgment. As one respondent noted, 'I voted 3, as they seem to be destined for a long-term stay in the middle of the pack. Hard to feel too excited, but I'm not slamming the panic button, and there's still plenty of youth on the way.' That note on the rising prospects was a theme, with many voters still feeling confident in the 'draft and develop' side of Detroit's approach. That's well-founded, as the Red Wings' Yzerman-era first-round picks who have reached the NHL have been highly successful. That starts with Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider, of course, but Simon Edvinsson and Marco Kasper have now also established themselves as top-half-of-the-lineup players who have shown signs they can drive play. That's a great start. Now, the key will be whether Nate Danielson, Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Michael Brandsegg-Nygård and Sebastian Cossa can continue that trend. It's not clear whether any of those four will see time with the Red Wings this season, but it's at least possible in each case. None would be expected to be impact players right away, as rookies, but all four have the potential to move the needle as they develop. That's certainly one source of hope. 'Still 4 first-round picks in the system that haven't made the jump (another 1 if you include 2025 draft),' one voter noted. 'Plenty of cap flexibility moving forward. If those picks largely flop and the cap space is used poorly, then I'll lose confidence.' Some fans, though, were not as sold on the prospects as being enough to feel confident. 'The pipeline seems to be filled with lots of depth, but few high-end prospects,' one reader said. 'The team is currently one of the oldest in the league with multiple contracts weighing us down. While the cupboards are full, it feels like we're stuck in the mushy middle.' This question dovetails with the last one, so it's no surprise to see a similar distribution of results. Once again, the most votes were in the middle, with 3 getting a majority of the answers. But interestingly, among those who picked a side, Yzerman's job performance scored a bit more favorably than fans' confidence in the overall direction, with 31.7 percent of voters giving him a 4 or 5 compared to 22.6 percent rating him a 1 or 2. Advertisement That may speak to some fans feeling that Yzerman isn't the main reason for the Red Wings' predicament. 'I think it's always hard to judge a GM performance, especially when (there) are so many impacting situations,' one voter said. 'A GM can only be as good as the the market and the position of the draft; it's the hand you are dealt.' 'People forget how bad the team was and how bare the prospect cupboards were when he started,' another wrote. Still, one of the themes among those who chose to comment was a clear delineation between Detroit's drafting and other means of player acquisition under Yzerman. 'Good drafting, poor signings and trades,' one voter wrote. 'Patience has been an asset for Yzerman in the past, but has his patience allowed other clubs in our division to catch up to us?' another wondered. It won't surprise anyone to hear that the Jake Walman trade got plenty of mentions, but Yzerman's handling of free agency was an especially common point of dissatisfaction. Yzerman and the Red Wings have had some hits in that market over the years, but many of those were on shorter-term deals for players who have already left for elsewhere. Meanwhile, many of the longer-term free agents Detroit has signed have been inconsistent, and in some cases have felt redundant to each other. In Yzerman's defense, some of this is the nature of free agency: the player pool is, by definition, older players who can pick their own destination. Non-playoff teams usually have to overextend themselves (on either dollars or term) to land those players, who also happen to be at risk of decline as they age. If you want to improve via that avenue, those big contracts are the cost of doing business. But part of being a general manager is also knowing when to walk away from such negotiations. And going into an offseason where the Red Wings are expected to be aggressive, it's going to be fascinating to see how Yzerman handles that side of things. Fans still seem to have sympathy for Yzerman's predicament on the whole, but it's fair to say some of their confidence has waned in recent years. No surprise here that McLellan, who turned the Red Wings around after coming in at the end of December last year, gets high marks. There were some who responded with some variation of 'too early to tell,' but nearly 85 percent of voters rated McLellan either a 4 or 5, and when you consider Detroit went 26-18-4 after his arrival (a 95-point pace over a full season), that makes sense. Advertisement Players clearly responded to him — and quickly — which is a great sign. He should have a nice blend of familiarity and fresh-start energy when he gets to training camp this fall. That could be a very good recipe. But we've also seen that NHL teams have become quite fickle with their head coaches in recent years, and winning seems to be the only real antidote. There's no true runaway winner here, and maybe that has to do with the relative similarity of some of the answers. But it certainly feels notable that the 'long-term sustainability' answer got the most votes — and would have still been competitive if you combined the '2026 playoffs at all costs' votes with the 'one more year outside is OK' crowd. 'I care about deep playoff runs more than simply making them,' one voter said. And while the 'at all costs' line probably turned some voters off that option, that shouldn't be mistaken for no sense of urgency, or a lack of frustration with how things have gone recently. That shows up in the lack of support for taking a short-term step back to retool for the longer term, which polled at under 5 percent. 'No reason to ruin the young core to chase the playoffs this year as a non-contender,' one voter said. 'But feels like we're getting passed by other rebuilding teams, so there needs to be a hard assessment of where we really are.' There are certainly some hard-liners — 'Enough is enough,' one fan wrote — but these results indicate this isn't necessarily a make-or-break year for most fans … assuming there is at least progress to point to. 'But just one more year, assuming we have some clear forward momentum,' one voter wrote. 'No more March 15-game losing streaks, no more botching big important late season series against division rivals.' Again, the most common answer was to straddle the line, but there's a clear pull toward the negative side here, outpolling the optimists by a resounding margin of 49 percent to 12 percent. That may be instructive as it pertains to the previous question: if fans don't expect the Red Wings to make the playoffs next year, it makes sense they aren't ready to call it make-or-break. Advertisement The one big caveat here is we're doing this poll before free agency or the bulk of any trade dealings. So what this really tells us is fans' confidence in the roster as currently constructed. That means it's liable to change — and perhaps change significantly — after July 1. Speaking of which … Hardly a shocker that Red Wings fans want their team to be in on the summer's top free agent prize, Mitch Marner. He'd be another smaller winger in a top-six that's already filled with that, but for a 100-point player who also kills penalties, that's a secondary issue. Marner would bring star power and significant playmaking, and do so while also potentially helping the league's worst penalty kill from a year ago. It's not a preference that needs much explaining — though it of course hinges on Marner's interest in coming to Detroit, which is far from a given. And while he would clearly move the needle, it's also fair to point out he doesn't necessarily address the team's stated needs this summer. 'I know Marner will be the sexy pick, but the Wings need to be harder to play against, and (Vladislav) Gavrikov fits the bill,' one voter said. At 27.3 percent of the vote, the Los Angeles Kings defenseman was actually closer to catching Marner in our poll than he was to the third-place finisher, Sam Bennett. That speaks to fans' recognition of the blue line as an area for improvement. 'There are a lot of defenseman prospects coming, but none are ready for this kind of role,' another fan said. And that's true. Top defense prospect Axel Sandin-Pellikka has a lot of potential, but his stint in Grand Rapids at the end of the season was a reminder he'll likely need time before being a significant contributor. Other prospects William Wallinder, Shai Buium and Anton Johansson have potential, but are most likely to be solid third-pairing types than top-four staples. Advertisement That leaves room for a big-ticket top-four 'D' addition, whether it's a free agent like Gavrikov or Aaron Ekblad, or a trade target such as the Rangers' K'Andre Miller. I was a little surprised there wasn't more support for Bennett, who plays with an edge and has shown he can score tough goals in big games. But perhaps the cost — after another loud postseason for Bennett — was a factor there. The harsh reality, though, is that Detroit won't get to just pick and choose from this bunch, which represents the top of the free-agent market. Those players are going to have a lot of interest from all over the league. So while the 'other' option in this poll represented less than 4 percent of the vote, it may actually be the most likely outcome. Based on the feedback earlier in the survey, this one was no surprise, with fans most confident in Detroit's drafting. There were some fans, however, who made note that 'Most confident doesn't mean confident,' or put simply, 'Not confident in any.' That surely reflects the frustrations of a fan base that has gone so long without tangible on-ice success to point to. There were also some who drew a distinction between the first-round drafting and in rounds 2-7. But while there have been some players picked in the second round who Detroit is probably kicking itself over (JJ Peterka, Logan Stankoven and Brock Faber top that list), the trend fans are observing is more par for the course. Once you get past round 1, making the NHL at all is generally considered a win, and it can take a long time for those players to develop to that point. Consider that two Red Wings rookies in 2024-25, Albert Johansson (2019 second round) and Elmer Söderblom (2019 sixth round), were part of Yzerman's first draft class and only just now reached the NHL. So while the later-round picks haven't arrived yet, that doesn't mean they won't, with Trey Augustine (2023 second round), Max Plante (2024 second round), Dmitri Buchelnikov (2022 second round) and Anton Johansson (2022 fourth round) among the most intriguing names. That being said, Detroit likely does need one of those players (or a future later-round pick) to really hit it big at some point, even with how well it has done in the first round. Being just 'par for the course' in rounds 2-7 could easily add up to a similar result in the standings. The majority of the fan base (nearly 70 percent) expects Detroit to compete for a championship in the next five years, which would seem to indicate more faith in the team's direction than fans proclaimed earlier in the poll. There's a higher bar to competing for the Stanley Cup than just making the playoffs, and while there could be some difference in definition of what 'contention' actually looks like, this is a fairly high number for a team in the Red Wings' position. Advertisement One reader said that as Detroit's young players and prospects continue to develop and the team rounds out around them, 'they will be a team with enviable depth (without superstar talent), like Carolina.' 'There are key foundational pieces in place,' another added. 'Seider and Edvinsson are going to be the high-end D-men so important to being a contender. I'm hopeful that one of the young goalie prospects will blossom into an elite player, and I'm confident that guys like Kasper and Danielson are built for the playoffs.' But while outvoted, the 30 percent who felt Detroit was five-plus years away was adamant. '5 years is underselling it,' one said. 'Without doing something dramatic in free agency we don't have the stars in our system to win the Cup,' another added. 'Typically the core of the prospects will need at least 2-4 years of experience before they fully understand that the playoff run is a totally different task,' one more reader noted. Obviously, this is the ultimate 'time will tell.' But the bulk of fans still believe Cup contention is on the horizon for this group. These two questions were meant to be analyzed together, partly as an indicator of how much the playoff drought could be sapping enthusiasm (and willingness to shell out for tickets, parking and the other costs associated with going to a game). It's admittedly only one measure, but it appears most fans expect to maintain their current attendance level next year, with more fans wanting to move up rather than down. 'Games are expensive,' one fan noted. 'Don't want to shell out the money for a family of four if I feel like we're going to see a loss. Kids are 8 and 10. Prime years for becoming fans for them. Would love to see a turnaround and winning season like the Tigers, Lions and Pistons are doing.' (Photo of Steve Yzerman: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
National Post
26-05-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Canucks: Adam Foote can add familiarity to his bench, but who's coaching offence?
Article content Foote played with Boughner in the OHL and they won a title with the Soo Greyhounds in 1990-91. They teamed up with the Colorado Avalanche over two seasons in 2003-04 and 2004-05 before Boughner turned to coaching. Article content Boughner was a Detroit Red Wings associate coach the last three seasons, and with Todd McLellan at the replacement coaching helm, the club rallied with a 6-2-2 late-season spurt to finish six points shy of a wild-card playoff berth. Article content In the process, the kids blossomed. Dynamic right-winger Lucas Raymond, 22, finished with 27 goals, while speedy centre Marco Kasper, 20, had 19 goals. And veterans Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Larkin had 39 and 30 goals respectively. Is that a product of the player or coaching? Probably both. What Boughner gleaned from McLellan about offence will help elsewhere. Boughner also ran the bench with the Florida Panthers and San Jose Sharks, and directed Windsor to back-to-back OHL titles. So he knows something about offence and how to generate it. Article content Article content Richardson was fired as Chicago Blackhawks head coach Dec. 4 after the struggling club went on a 3-9-1 slide and was 8-16-2 under his watch. The Blackhawks had the 31st-ranked offence and allowed the second-most goals. Article content Aside from UFA Ryan Donato striking for a career-high 31 goals, and Connor Bedard netting 23, including 11 on a seventh-rated power play, there just wasn't much collective pop. However, Richardson's history as an assistant with the Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders and Ottawa Senators could help secure a job with the Canucks. Article content 'He was a great assistant,' said a Senators source. 'A real players' coach. He would be a great fit.' Article content Richardson also ran the bench for the Senators AHL affiliate. That's where he helped young prospects Jean-Gabriel Pageau, 19, Mark Stone, 20, and Mike Hoffman, 22, grow their games. Article content Stone blossomed from 15 AHL goals, learned how to play a complete game, and became a consistent NHL scorer with seven 20-goal seasons, including a career-high 28 goals with the Senators in 2018-19. Article content Hoffman went from 13 AHL rookie goals to 30 the next season and then surpassing 20 NHL goals six times, including a career-high 36 with the Panthers in 2018-19. And Pageau turned seven goals into his first AHL season into 24 with the parent Senators in 2019-20. Article content Article content
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lucas Raymond, Detroit Red Wings teammates, win bronze at World Championship
If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission. Pricing and availability subject to change. Lucas Raymond contributed a goal to help Sweden to a bronze medal at the 2025 Ice Hockey World Championship. Raymond and his Detroit Red Wings teammates Simon Edvinsson and Erik Gustafsson celebrated a 6-2 victory over Scandinavian rival Denmark on Sunday, May 25 at Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden. Advertisement It was Raymond's fifth goal and 11th point in 10 games at the prestigious International Ice Hockey Federation event. The match pitted the Swedes against the Danes, who wrote the best story of the tournament when they upset Canada in the quarterfinals. But the Swedes were too much, and Raymond's goal was a backbreaker. During a Danish power play in the third period, Raymond pounced on a loose puck inside Sweden's zone and raced up ice to make it 4-0. ANALYSIS: When Patrick Kane re-signs with Wings, thank Showtime Jr. & Archie DeBrincat Nikolaj Ehlers, a potential free agent target for the Wings this summer, scored shortly after teammate Nick Olesen to pull the Danes within two goals, but Sweden came back with another goal. Advertisement Gustafsson assisted on Sweden's sixth goal, picking up his seventh assist of the tournament. Edvinsson had one point, an assist, earlier in the tournament. The Swedes were the only Wings standing on the event's last day. Marco Kasper had a great outing for the Austrians with four goals and three assists in eight games before Austria was bounced in the quarterfinals by Switzerland. Moritz Seider, named captain of Germany, had one assist in seven games. The Germans lost the last four games of the round-robin part of the tournament and didn't advance out of the preliminary round. Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, the Wings' first-round pick from 2024, had four assists in five games for Norway, which also didn't make it out of the preliminary round. Advertisement Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@ Follow her on X @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her latest book, 'The Franchise: Detroit Red Wings, A Curated History of the Red Wings,' was released October 2024. Her books, 'On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,' and 'The Big 50: The Men and Moments that made the Detroit Red Wings' are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lucas Raymond, Red Wings teammates, win bronze at World Championship
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Detroit Red Wings' Lucas Raymond, Sweden lose in Worlds semis, bronze medal game next
Lucas Raymond will have to settle for a bronze medal at best as the World Championship enters the final day. The Detroit Red Wings forward and his fellow Swedes were unable to counter the United States on Saturday, May 24, losing 6-2 in the first semifinal of the 2025 International Ice Hockey Federation event. The game was on home turf, too, at Avicii Arena in Stockholm. Advertisement That bumps Sweden to the bronze medal game, which will be held Sunday, May 25, also at Avicii Arena. Wings defenseman Erik Gustafsson is also part of the Swedish team. The Swedes will play the loser of the second semifinal between Denmark and Switzerland. READ MORE: Why Denmark's Nikolaj Ehlers is compelling watch for Red Wings at Worlds Lucas Raymond of Sweden during the 2025 Ice Hockey World Championship match between Sweden and Czechia at Avicii Arena on May 22, 2025 in Stockholm, Sweden. The Americans were up 4-0 on Sweden after two periods. The U.S. moves on to the gold medal game, against the winner of Denmark-Switzerland. The semifinal outing was a disappointing end for Sweden, and came two days after Raymond scored twice to lift his team past Nordic neighbor Finland in the quarterfinals. That round also spelled the end for Wings forward Marco Kasper, whose Austrians were routed by the Swiss. Advertisement Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@ Follow her on X @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her latest book, 'The Franchise: Detroit Red Wings, A Curated History of the Red Wings,' was released October 2024. Her books, 'On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,' and 'The Big 50: The Men and Moments that made the Detroit Red Wings' are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings' Lucas Raymond, Sweden lose to USA in Worlds semis
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lucas Raymond dominates, Red Wings free agent target clutch in World Championship quarters
Lucas Raymond scored twice to lead Sweden into the semifinals of the World Championship, but a Detroit Red Wings teammate stalled out in the quarterfinals. And in what would turn out to be the most thrilling quarterfinal Thursday, May 22, Denmark upset hockey powerhouse Canada, 2-1, before a jubilant home crowd at Jyske Bank Boxen in Herning, Denmark. Advertisement There was nothing close about the earlier game in Herning: Marco Kasper's Austrians were routed, 6-0, by central European neighbor Switzerland. At Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, the home team beat Czechia, 5-2. In the earlier quarterfinal there, the U.S. beat Finland, 5-2. The U.S. next plays Sweden on Saturday, May 24, while Denmark faces Switzerland. ANALYSIS: Denmark's Nikolaj Ehlers is compelling watch for Red Wings at Worlds Lucas Raymond of of Sweden celebrates with William Karlsson after scoring 3-0 during the 2025 Ice Hockey World Championship match between Sweden and Czechia at Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden on May 22, 2025. Austria's loss doesn't diminish how much Kasper accomplished. The Detroit Red Wings forward, coming off a standout second half of his rookie season, finished with four goals and three assists at the World Championship. It was a great opportunity for him to show how he performs in high-pressure games, and he more than held his own. Advertisement Raymond's output in the quarters gives him four goals and six assists after eight games. Sweden, Switzerland and the U.S. all held up as the higher seeds in their quarterfinals, and all the games ended with three-goals-or-more differentials. But Canada could not hold up as the favorites. It was a scoreless game until Travis Sanheim gave Canada the lead five minutes into the third period. That stood until the final minutes when Nikolaj Ehlers — a potential free agent target for the Wings this summer — scored a second straight clutch goal since joining Denmark for the final game of the preliminary round. Nick Oleson scored with 49 seconds to play in regulation to send home the Canadians, whose NHL-laden roster included Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon and Jordan Binnington. Advertisement Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@ Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her latest book, 'The Franchise: Detroit Red Wings, A Curated History of the Red Wings,' was released October 2024. Her books, 'On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,' and 'The Big 50: The Men and Moments that made the Detroit Red Wings' are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Red Wings' Lucas Raymond shines in hockey World Championship quarters
