For the first time in the Steve Yzerman era, the idea of the Detroit Red Wings being buyers at the NHL trade deadline feels not only realistic, but justified.
Head coach Todd McLellan made that clear Friday during an appearance on 97.1 The Ticket, saying the team’s performance has put the organization in a position to seriously explore upgrades.
“I think we’re a better hockey club, just flat out,” McLellan said. “Our roster is a little bit better than it was last year. We’re getting some better goaltending than we had last year.”
Detroit’s growth, according to McLellan, has been intentional and ongoing since the start of the season. He explained that the coaching staff set a tone in training camp centered on physical toughness and mental resilience — a mindset that is now showing up in games.
“Starting in training camp we talked about getting physically and mentally stronger and we’ve really pounded that day after day into the players,” McLellan said. “I think they’re starting to believe in it, especially between the ears.”
Resilience Is Showing Up on the Ice
That belief was on full display Thursday night against Washington, when the Red Wings erased a two-goal deficit in the final two minutes to force overtime and steal a point.
McLellan credited the players for refusing to fold, saying the team now believes it has a chance no matter the circumstances.
“I think that we stick with things a little bit longer, a little more resilient,” he said. “We believe we have a chance right to the bitter end, as we did last night. And I give the players credit for that — they’ve responded well.”
The results back it up. Detroit hasn’t lost back-to-back games in regulation since November and owns a 19-6-4 record since December, one of the best marks in the NHL over that span.
‘We Have Done Enough to Be Buyers’ — With a Catch
McLellan didn’t shy away from the trade deadline conversation, openly stating that Detroit has earned the right to look for help.
“We have done enough to be buyers,” he said.
But he was also quick to temper expectations, explaining that making a deal is rarely as simple as fans make it out to be.
“It’s never that easy,” McLellan said. “It’s simple to sit back at home and say, ‘Well, they gotta go get this guy, that guy and that guy.’ The store has to be open, the shopkeeper has to be willing, and he has to have some reasonable prices or nobody’s purchasing anything.”
He compared the trade market to everyday shopping, noting that teams can’t afford to wildly overpay just because they want something.
“You’re not going to overpay three times the amount of what that car or item might be worth,” he said.
Lessons From Past Deadline Failures
Detroit’s nine-year playoff drought remains a lingering cloud, especially given how previous seasons unraveled in March after quiet trade deadlines.
McLellan acknowledged those past collapses and said they were a major reason the coaching staff approached this season differently from the very beginning.
“We’re definitely aware of what’s gone on in the past,” he said.
He explained that last year’s late-season slide reinforced the importance of building mental toughness early.
“That mental fortitude, that resilience that we wanted to build up and talk about, it started day one in training camp before we even put the equipment on,” McLellan said. “We’ve tried to push the players. We’ve tried to make them comfortably uncomfortable.”
McLellan admitted there are no guarantees the approach will work, but said the team’s response so far has been encouraging.
“To this point they’ve indicated to us, or shown us as a coaching staff, that they’re prepared to deal with it,” he said.
Yzerman Is Listening — Carefully
While Detroit clearly needs help on the right side of its defense and could benefit from another top-six forward with size and scoring punch, McLellan emphasized that chemistry still matters.
“I know Steve’s going to do everything he can to look at the market and he’s listening right now,” McLellan said. “We like the chemistry we have with our team right now and that always has to be considered.”
The trade deadline arrives March 6, with an NHL roster freeze beginning during the Olympic break on February 4. That leaves just seven games for Detroit to further define what kind of buyer it should be.
Bottom Line
For years, the Red Wings talked about growth. Now, they’re backing it up with results.
McLellan made it clear the team has earned the right to seek help — but not at the expense of long-term progress or reckless spending.
Detroit may finally be ready to buy. Whether the market cooperates will determine how bold Steve Yzerman is willing to be.
2 Responses
Good article and I understand the fans impatience after 9 years of waiting. Steve has his work cut out for him and I expect he will pull the trigger to provide us with another veteran defense man, but it takes two to tango!
Therein lies the problem. Per Elliotte Friedman at the NHL Network, Yzerman has a bit of a reputation around the league. A reputation that he is difficult to deal with, and given the Red Wings lack of action during trade deadlines past, this has more to do with stubbornness than anything else. Yzerman has to win every trade, or it’s not going to happen.