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In my last blog I took a crack at explaining
Why Culture matters in setting up a program. After re watching some of the Buffalo exit interviews, it’s absolutely gut wrenching to see how Eichel, Reinhart and Ristolainen just look completely exhausted. The mental fatigue is evident. I’m certain that if Hall and Eichel stay in touch, it’s not going to help diminish the pain of where the team is after another year of not making the playoffs.
Moritz Seider is an impressive part of what Detroit is building. His year in Sweden saw his team make it to the finals (lost 4-1) and Moritz was awarded the SHL “Elite Prospect” award (per Jackie this is apparently a fake award paid for by elite prospects). He was also nominated for SHL defenseman of the year. That’s impressive for a player who just turned 20. That puts him in the “best player not currently in the NHL” type of discussion.
Steve Yzerman is still reserved in his approach. As everyone is excited to get a look at the 6’3” defenseman on NHL ice, Yzerman still hasn’t committed to guaranteeing that he’ll be on the roster next season. I believe he will be, but continuing to challenge prospects to be better is a big part of what the GM is building.
This season was an important step forward. The Abdelkader buyout (now playing for team USA) was one of those bold moves that no one was used to. Continuing to allow significant roster turnover and allowing players to either earn or lose a job is also new. Rasmussen and Svechnikov made good strides forward and were rewarded for it. Veterans weren’t in the lineup just because they had been there longer. They faced waivers and taxi squad duty. As quiet as Yzerman is in his press releases, his messages are loud and clear within the organization.
My brief pause in this moment is one of gratitude and reflection. To each of you who has spent time reading these posts during my second season as the Red Wings Blogger, thank you. To be able to write about this team and interact with so many of you is a dream come true. Whether a post seems to hit the mark, or be way off, your continued support is humbling. Even if we don’t see eye to eye, your investment of time and passion is what makes this blog happen.
The end of the season has always been strange. Whether it was lifting the cup or a non playoff year, it’s always sudden. The hockey machine, especially this year, runs 24/7 and then goes completely quiet. Taking time to catch my breath and catalog my thoughts has been a stranger process this year than last. Last year was a bizarre “fade away”. This time everything shut down as normal. I went from watching the team every other day (sometimes 2 games in 3 days) to none at all. The veil of silence is back up while exit interviews are finished. The GM will let you know something when or after it happens. Not many leaks in this ship, for sure.
While I shift to full “chess board” mode, we’ll continue to interact. It’s the time of year to enjoy speculation, to play through the “what if” scenarios. To Yzerman’s credit, reality has been just as fun as the pondering. Things are very fluid, and many more irons are in the fire than we can see. As news breaks, I’ll do my best to post with my personal thoughts and give you the opportunity to give yours. It’s a long walk to September, but there are some important stops along the way. Thank you again for a fantastic season and for being here to share it. I look forward to Steve Yzerman’s 3rd draft at the helm, and finding out what next year’s roster will look like. It’s going to be a fun ride.
Check out my previous blogs:
Why Culture matters
my thoughts on Blashill
your picks so far
Give me your picks and predictions
Bobby Ryan not ready to retire
Svechnikov Mic’d up 
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