The Hockey Mind of Steve Y

Steve Yzerman may not have any championships as a part of a front office, but if you look closely at the two most recent champions, his fingerprints are glaring on the gold and diamond encrusted rings Tampa Bay has earned. For 8 years, Steve Yzerman was tasked at assembling the Lightning roster and staff with expectations of being the best. It is one of the hardest jobs in the sport, and it is why it takes an individual like Yzerman who has nerves of steel to be as successful as he is.

From hiring Jon Cooper, drafting Kucherov, acquiring some of the best goalies in the game, such as Bishop, Elliot, and arguably the best goalie in the game to day Vasilevskiy, Stevie Y has pushed all of the right buttons, only to step down and attempt the same task with the legendary Redwings, the team the now GM captained for almost 20 years. It was Yzerman’s 5th year that he got the Lightning to their first Cup Finals since winning it all in 2004.

This summer may be the most critical for Steve and the Redwings. First, they will need a new bench manager as Blashill and the ‘Wings have decided to separate ways. They also hold 3 picks in the first two rounds of the draft. The ‘Wings will also be in a rare environment where they will have a lot of cap space and a few major holes to fill with big names to choose from in free agency. While the summer passes and the Redwings make their moves, be sure to check out our Facebook page as well as our tournament tabs to keep up to date on our moves for the 2022-2023 season.