It's no secret that Steve Yzerman and the Detroit Red Wings have been in a rebuilding phase for the past few years. The team has made some promising moves, bringing in young talent and draft picks, but there's no denying that the recent trades have pushed their timeline back.
Key Points
- The Detroit Red Wings made moves last week that pushed back their timeline for competing for a Stanley Cup.
- The Red Wings lost top-half-of-the-lineup players in exchange for picks that won't make significant impacts for at least three years.
- The rebuild's end is hard to predict due to variables like when young prospects will be NHL-ready and what moves Detroit will make via trades and free agency.
- It could be two or more years before Detroit is a playoff team, and two or more beyond that before it's a legit Cup contender.
- The Red Wings likely would have lost Tyler Bertuzzi anyway and Filip Hronek is due for a substantial raise, so acquiring draft capital could set up Detroit well in the long term.
Steve Yzerman's Trade Deadline Move Set Detroit Red Wings' Rebuild Back
With the departure of Tyler Bertuzzi and Filip Hronek, the Red Wings have lost two top-half-of-the-lineup players in exchange for draft picks that won't make an impact for at least three years. While the value of these deals was good, it raises the question: when will this rebuild end? One thing is for certain, Yzerman's deadline moves have certainly pushed the rebuild back, rather than forward. Of course, that is not saying that it was not the right thing to do.
When will the Detroit Red Wings contend for a Stanley Cup?
It's a difficult question to answer, as there are many variables at play. How quickly will young prospects like Simon Edvinsson, Marco Kasper, and Albert Johansson be NHL-ready and make a difference on the ice? How will the current roster players continue to develop and improve their game? And what additional moves will the Red Wings make via trades and free agency?
Without knowing the answers to these questions, it's hard to predict when the Red Wings will be playoff contenders again, let alone Stanley Cup contenders. That being said, considering how good the Eastern Conference is, it would be tough to predict a playoff berth for the Red Wings prior to the 2024-25 season. Of course, just getting into the playoffs is a lot different from actually contending for a Stanley Cup. My best guess is that, if everything goes right, they could possibly contend for a Cup in 2025-26, or more likely, 2026-27.
Bottom Line: Red Wings' fans will have to continue to be patient
Ultimately, the moves made by Yzerman may set them up for long-term success. But for fans who are eager to see their team compete for a Stanley Cup, it looks like there's still some waiting to do. So, the question is, how patient are you willing to be? Yzerman has already been the GM for four years, are you willing to wait another three or four years before the team is in a position to contend for a Cup? I guess we don't have much of a choice, do we?
