"Giving up a first or second or third round pick for a [depth player], we're better off bringing up our guys from Grand Rapids for that," said Yzerman
"Giving up a first or second or third round pick for a [depth player], we're better off bringing up our guys from Grand Rapids for that," said Yzerman
A week after coach Derek Lalonde hinted that Detroit might opt for a quiet deadline, the NHL's trade deadline came and went Friday afternoon, and the Red Wings were far from the league's busiest team.
Detroit made just one move in the week leading up to the deadline, sending Klim Kostin to San Jose this afternoon in exchange for a seventh round pick and defenseman Radim Simek (who was sent directly to the Grand Rapids Griffins).
At his post-deadline press conference explaining his business, GM Steve Yzerman emphasized that choice by touting the Red Wings' internal depth, saying that he would rather preserve the team's long-term future by holding onto its prospects rather than flipping those young players for rentals. "Giving up a first or second or third round pick for a [depth player], we're better off bringing up our guys from Grand Rapids for that," he said.
He added that he believes the Red Wings' status in the Eastern Conference standing as well as emotional state of the locker room did not invite significant changes. "I think the atmosphere within the team...is we have very good team spirit," Yzerman said. "There's a lot of enthusiasm. You hear the players talk about how much they're enjoying playing there, so that's encouraging, and they have got us into a good spot here."
Yzerman also emphasized that he did not want to pursue rentals at the expense of the current prospect arsenal, saying "We're building a nucleus of young prospects that are going to be a part of this team...We're slowly seeing some of those kids in GR not only develop from junior and college and Europe into good American League players, they're just slowing moving up the pipeline...It's only a matter of time before they're in the NHL and playing regularly."
When asked about some of the Red Wings' most NHL-ready prospects (specifically Simon Edvinsson and Jonatan Berggren, both of whom have spent the bulk of the year with the Griffins), Yzerman explained that "sending [players like Edvinsson and Berggren] to play in GR this year wasn't necessarily about this year. It's about the next 15 to 18 years. They're going to be really good players, and I like to think they're better players today, and I know they're playing a bigger role than they would have in Detroit."
With Berggren in particular, it's worth noting that he's played 76 career NHL games, which means that he if plays four more (and hits 80 for his career), he would have to clear waivers to be sent back down to the AHL. Yzerman specifically noted that he wouldn't want to take that risk, which is to say if Berggren gets the call-up, it's likely to be a permanent one (or close to it).
Of the one move Detroit did make, Yzerman explained that it didn't make sense to keep Kostin around for the one season remaining after this one on his contract, while also noting that he wanted to give a chance for a young player like Kostin (who is just 24) the chance at a bigger opportunity elsewhere. "In the role that he was being used in, it doesn't make sense to have a $2 million player," Yzerman said of Kostin.
In reference to the team's pending unrestricted free agents (a group that includes Patrick Kane, David Perron, Daniel Sprong, Christian Fischer, Shayne Gostisbehere, and James Reimer), Yzerman said, "I've spoken with most of our pending UFAs agents and just said that I want to see how the season plays out, and I've got to see where we go with our RFAs—shorter term or long term—because those deals will have an impact on what we can do with our UFAs, but ultimately I like our entire UFA group. I think we'd all agree they've performed pretty good for us. I'm not sure that we'll be able to bring everybody back."
Of Kane in particular, Yzerman pointed out that bringing Kane into the fold in late November and then introducing him into the lineup in December was in effect the Red Wings' deadline acquisition. "He's had a positive impact on the ice, and you see the amazing plays that he makes, and he's been really good within the locker room, just with his demeanor, his work ethic, his professionalism," Yzerman said. "He's been really good for our organization."
In sum, it was a quiet deadline for Detroit, but as Lalonde hinted at last week, there is a confidence beneath that quiet—confidence in the team Yzerman has already assembled and confidence that the Red Wings have more firepower at their disposal should they choose to call it up from Grand Rapids.
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