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Yzerman turns modest deals into lucrative returns |
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When it comes to Detroit Red Wings' GM Steve Yzerman's managerial moves, you never see them coming.
How many rumors did you read or hear about the Red Wings pursuing Marc Staal? You didn't see or hear any because that's how Yzerman operates. He has a small inner-circle that knows what he is considering. But he keeps the rest of the world in the dark. No leaks, no trial balloons, no fuss. That's his style, and it has worked well for him since he first became a general manager for Tampa Bay in 2010.
He is not shy about making major deals, evidenced by his favorable acquisition of Mikhail Sergachev for Jonathan Drouin in 2017.
But one of Yzerman's real strengths as a general manager is an ability to make small deals that end up having better-than-anticipated consequences, like when Yzerman was in Tampa Bay and traded Brian Conacher for Ben Bishop and when he flipped Kyle Quincey to Detroit for the first round pick that ended up being used to draft Andrei Vasilevskiy.
Last season, Yzerman gave up fourth liner Jacob de la Rose for Robbie Fabbri, 24, who ended up playing in Detroit's top six. He also secured a pair of second-round picks from Edmonton for speedy Andreas Athanasiou. Now, Edmonton is moving on from Athanasiou
When Yzerman was named Detroit general manager, some fans thought his tenure would be marked by big name acquisitions. The thought was Yzerman would use his sterling reputation to attract high profile free agents.
He may eventually bring in a free agent, but that's not how Yzerman builds teams. He starts by acquiring draft picks and putting together a strong foundation of talented youngsters.
That's what the Staal deal is about. He received another second round pick to carry Staal's $5.7 million contract for a year. The New York Rangers needed cap relief. Yzerman wants to be more competitive than the Red Wings were last season, and Staal is a veteran who can help in that regard. Yzerman said Trevor Daley and Jonathan Ericsson are moving on. When playing well, Staal is a solid performer. There's a chance that the Red Wings will be able to move Staal at next season's trade deadline, perhaps adding more value to this deal.
With plenty of cap space remaining, the Red Wings may not be done dealing. With the glut of goalies on the marketplace, the Red Wings may sign one to play with Jonathan Bernier. Yzerman is trying to improve now as well as the future. Based on the theory of supply and demand, some free agent goalies will end up as bargains.
But what I really expect from Yzerman leading up to the draft is more maneuvering for the addition of more draft picks or quality prospects.
That's what he does well. He's a creative trader and his team's draft well. If you look at his history, one of his second round picks in Tampa Bay became Nikita Kucherov and a third-round pick became Brayden Point. If he can do something similar in Detroit, the Red Wings are on their way back to respectable.
Blogger •HHOF Writer's column on the NHL • 
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