For Red Wings Rebuild, The Time For Bold Moves Is Now
By Nick Seguin
5 years agoThree years ago, Canadian media outlets broke news that the newly-appointed President of Hockey Operations for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Brendan Shanahan, received ownership approval for a “scorched earth” rebuild.
From that point on, big changes came to the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, starting with management, then coaching, and finally the roster. At the time, fans were asked for their patience during a three to five year window. Here we are, three years later, and the Leafs are one of the best teams in the league.
What’s notable about the fallout from that news piece is that the changes came from the top. Mark Hunter was brought in for his deep knowledge of prospects and it wasn’t long before Kyle Dubas was scooped up from his OHL GM gig in Sault Ste. Marie. That was followed by the removal of Dave Nonis as GM and Peter Horachek as the interim head coach. They were soon replaced by Lou Lamoriello and Mike Babcock.
That’s quite the upgrade.
In the case of the Red Wings, they don’t need the “scorched earth” rebuild. They have a solid foundation of young players both on the team and in Grand Rapids and are maybe one or two pieces away from being competitive.
But drafting good players in the first round is the easy part. There are many hard decisions that still need to be made to complete the rebuild. Decisions like cutting loose players on bad contracts, scratching grit in favour of speed and skill, and negotiating long-term deals that make sense for the team.
It’s not that Ken Holland and Jeff Blashill don’t have the stomach for these decisions. As professionals who have been around the game of hockey all of their lives, I believe that they do. But they’ve been so close to this team and this roster for so long. When you’re in that deep, it can be hard to take a step back and look at the bigger picture.
In a meeting room where everyone has been around for five years, it quickly becomes an echo chamber. It’s always a good idea to bring in an objective point of view.
This is where I believe Chris Illitch can truly leave his mark on this team. Like his father before him, Illitch can leave behind a legacy of winning, but he has to be bold.
Right now, there are two men who are the best at their positions on the open market.
Joel Quenneville is the second most winningest coach in NHL history. He molded a young Chicago Blackhawks team into a three time Stanley Cup champion. With his hometown of Windsor, Ontario just across the river, one would think that Q would at least consider a gig in Detroit. Nabbing him would be a real turning point for a young Red Wings team who is in search of a good on-ice system to maximize their potential. Quenneville can bring that to life.
And then there’s Steve Yzerman. Though not totally unemployed yet, Yzerman will theoretically be on the open market come the offseason. The player who led the Red Wings to three Stanley Cups while setting countless franchise records along the way is still a legend in Hockeytown, even though his career as a general manager took place in South Florida.
Yzerman built a Lightning roster with multiple superstars, masterfully managing the salary cap and unafraid to make trades. He won GM of the Year in 2015 and is widely regarded as one of the best out there. The Lightning team that he built is set to be a contender for many years to come.
Yet Yzerman chose to step away from that because he wanted to move home to Michigan. It’s hard to imagine a future where Stevie isn’t working for the Red Wings in some capacity, but it’s even harder to imagine him taking a job below that of General Manager.
He completed his training under Ken Holland and then went out to prove he can build his own team. His history with the team aside, Yzerman is the right choice to come in and set a new course for this franchise.
There’s no doubt that the Red Wings have multiple pieces in place right now. They are further along than most rebuilding teams, but they lack an aggressiveness that pushes teams over the edge. That has to come from the top and there are no better choices than Steve Yzerman and Joel Quenneville to bring it in.
It’s up to Chris Illitch to instigate this change. He’s got a small window now with two of the best at their positions available, but that window is rapidly closing. He doesn’t need to go “scorched earth”, but the time to be bold is now.
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