Wings’ Yzerman prepares significant move ahead of 2021 season start

Team insider believes Detroit will find ways to improve its roster for 2021.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 3 years ago
Wings’ Yzerman prepares significant move ahead of 2021 season start
Twitter

This offseason might have an unknown length to it with no specific start date yet announced for the start of the 2021 season, however, Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman is making the most of it, working hard at ensuring that his club can become a contender in the next few campaigns. 

According to Nicholas J. Cotsonika of NHL.com, Yzerman is expected to continue trying to find ways to improve his roster for 2021. And there is a lot of room for improvement : the Red Wings went 17-49-5, finished last in the League and had the worst points percentage (.275) since the NHL salary cap was introduced in 2005-06.

“We’ll look for ways to improve the team. The plan isn’t just to sit and not try to improve and get better from year to year. We’re going to try and get better from year to year.
“The reality is, you’re limited to what you can do, and you’re limited, or you’re restricted, by the time it takes for each prospect to develop. [Becoming a contender is] just not as simple as just going out and making a bunch of trades and getting really good players and signing a bunch of free agents.”

Speaking of free agents, a lot of great names remain available and we sure wonder if Yzerman will be a player. Mike Hoffman, Sami Vatanen, Travis Hamonic, Mikael Granlund and Anthony Duclair are still without contracts and so who knows if Yzerman’s plan includes speaking with these free agents and add some to his roster. 

According to Cap Friendly , the Wings have over $9 million in cap space for 2021. Who knows, if the right opportunity presents itself, Yzerman could use some of that cap room to add a player to get the ball rolling on this plan. 

Yzerman isn’t afraid of using the trade market to bolster his rebuilding club as we saw last year. He added forward Robby Fabbri, who became one of the few brights spots amidst the Wings’ dissapointing season. 

“We’ve got a lot of bodies right now,” Yzerman added. “I do think there’s room potentially to add, and I would consider it as we go along or as we get closer to knowing when we’re going to start.”

Source: NHL.com