After five seasons of rebuilding under GM Steve Yzerman, the Detroit Red Wings were expected to break through in 2024-25 as playoff contenders.
Entering March, the Wings held the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. However, they stumbled down the stretch, finishing five points out of that playoff spot. It was a repeat of last season's finish, when they missed the cut due to regulation wins.
This was the ninth straight season the Red Wings failed to qualify for the post-season, making it the worst drought in franchise history.
Yzerman met with the media on April 29 to lay out his plans for the off-season. Max Bultman of The Athletic reported Yzerman indicated his willingness to use his assets (draft picks, prospects, and “any player”) in a trade to improve the roster.
Those remarks came in the wake of Wings captain Dylan Larkin's recent remarks suggesting Yzerman's inability to make a big move at the trade deadline hurt the club's momentum over the remainder of the schedule. The Wings GM indicated he tried to improve the roster at the deadline but couldn't find any suitable deals.
Yzerman said he'd spoken to Larkin about his comments but declined to elaborate. He did tell reporters he felt it was up to his club's best players to boost morale and elevate their play.
Larkin Expresses Frustration with Red Wings Trade Deadline Approach
Dylan Larkin is not just the Red Wings captain. He is also the team's longest tenured player, the only one left with first hand experience of playoff hockey in Detroit, and he grew up 40 minutes northwest of Little Caesars Arena in Waterford. When you put it all together, it's no surprise that Larkin wears his team's shortcomings and nine season playoff drought the hardest. At Saturday's locker clean-out day, Larkin expressed one particular aspect of that frustration.
Larkin's remarks raised some eyebrows, sparking speculation suggesting he could be traded, but Detroit Hockey Now's Bob Duff dismissed that conjecture. He pointed out that the Wings captain has six years remaining on his contract with a full no-trade clause through 2027-28.
Yzerman probably wasn't pleased with Larkin's public criticism of his trade deadline activity. Nevertheless, he's not going to trade away his club's top center, especially when there is no replacement within their system or in this summer's trade and free-agent markets.
Duff speculated right winger Vladimir Tarasenko could be bought out of the final year of his contract following a disappointing 11-goal performance this season. However, The Hockey News’ Sam Stockton noted that Yzerman said the 33-year-old's play was better than his production, taking the GM's remarks to suggest that Tarasenko could return next season.
Yzerman also indicated there's mutual interest in bringing back Patrick Kane. The 36-year-old right winger completed a one-year, bonus-laden contract, tallying 21 goals and 38 assists for 59 points.