No matter how hard you try, honeymoons cannot last forever, even if you are Detroit Red Wings general manager, Steve Yzerman.
On Friday night, news broke that the Red Wings acquired D Nick Leddy from the New York Islanders in exchange for F Richard Panik and the No. 52 overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft.
UPDATE: The Detroit #RedWings acquired D Nick Leddy from the New York Islanders in exchange for F Richard Panik and the 52nd selection (originally EDM) in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. pic.twitter.com/SNWmaoV14q
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 17, 2021
Up to this point, whenever Yzerman made a move as Red Wings GM, fans and the “experts” who write about this type of stuff raved about how he was fleecing other general managers around the league and that the “Yzerplan” was rolling out perfectly. And that is exactly what a honeymoon period is all about, everything is perfect and it almost seems like nothing could possibly change that.
Up to this point, I have been on board with just about every move Yzerman has made since returning to Hockeytown and I am all about the “Yzerplan” eventually bringing the Red Wings back to the promised land.
That being said, I truly believe Yzerman slipped up on Friday by giving up a second-round pick and paying half of Panik’s remaining contract in exchange for a 30-year-old defenseman who really has not been very good at defense as of late.
Now, I am not saying that Leddy is a bad player. In fact, I think he will come in and tighten up the left side while being a mentor for Red Wings prospect Moritz Seider.
But is that enough to give up a second-round pick, especially considering Leddy only has one year remaining on his current contract and is likely only a short-term fix for the Wings? Not to mention, chances are that the Islanders would have left him unprotected for the upcoming expansion draft.
Well, that all depends on what happens moving forward.
If Leddy comes in and shows he is a good defenseman, Yzerman very well could flip him at the 2021-22 NHL trade deadline for a late first-round pick from a contender who is looking to improve their defense.
To me, the bottom line is that Yzerman just gave up a second-round pick for a defenseman who has pretty much been an even WAR player over the past few years. What that means is that Leddy’s production is no better than what the expected production of a replacement-level defenseman would be.
Now, before you call me an Yzerman hater, please understand that I still believe in the “Yzerplan” and I believe that Yzerman will bring another Cup to Detroit. But for me, the honeymoon is over thanks to this trade.
I am sure he will win me back shortly!
WTF ??? Let’s see how this plays out OK? WAY TOO EARLY to be judgmental…..This IS Steve Yzerman after all…..I Suggest we don’t forget THAT…
The move was very good. Wings have 3 2nd round picks, plus an additional first. Giving up 1 2nd round pick will not hurt them.
I do have a question for you, is hockey your first sport?
Detroit doesn’t have enough transporters of the puck. Leddy provides that from the back end. A top 4 Dman for what would have been Detroit’s 5th pick in this draft shouldn’t seem like such a reach. He gets out of Panik for 2 years, which Is more about freeing up the bottom 6 spot in the short term. Give Lou some credit for talking Detroit into retaining half, but Detroit had the the most cap space in the league. He can also flip Leddy at the deadline for AT LEAST a 3rd and possibly even higher when he retains 50 percent. Now Seattle will take either Stecher or Lindstrom. Cholowski gets another chance to develop into that Leddy spot.
Don’t short guess Yzerman look what he did for Tampa
Its ok. You have to complain about something to be a serious writer but this trade is a good trade. We have multiple 2nd round picks and 2 firsts. That 2nd round pick or very possibly a first can and will be returned to us at the deadline. Until then we get a player who excels at the very thing every other defensman on the team is average or terrible at…. Bringing the puck out of our own end. At worst he improves the team while hes here, at best he teaches the rest of the dmen how to get up ice without turning the puck over 3 times. Then he is flipped for a higher pick than we gave for him. The cap hit is the one thing I dont like but we have plenty and it will also be returned in 2 years. I think its a B plus grade. Possibly becoming an A plus at the deadline.
Leddy is a superb defensemen….
This was a solid move my Yzerman. Yes, Leddy is 30 years old, however he comes with a veteran presence at the blue-line and won a cup. He’s a seasoned veteran with an offensive, mobile game on the ice could blend well with Seider. He’s also a left-handed shot which is hard to come by.
Yes, this is a move in which we can flip him at the deadline, if not, so be it. We have an abundance of picks for this year, one 2nd rounder isn’t going to kill us. I personally believe it was a great move and a move than can help the younger defenseman.
I don’t see this as a headscratcher trade. We need defense and this is just a stepping stone to get to where Yzerman and all of us want this team to be.