Jeremy Laura: Yzerman’s methods have made massive changes in just 2 years

Foist!!! Thanks Jeremy!

you have an enviable GM my friend

With all that draft capital, I am sure Stevie may trade them for an established player/prospect or 2 which may accelerate the rebuild as well. Then there will be the cap space as well to pick up a few good players as well. He is giving this team a lot of options in moving forward an getting better!

No GM is perfect, but I think Yzerman has what I consider to be a really awesome combination of traits to have in a GM, particularly of a rebuilding franchise:

- He makes more good decisions than bad ones
- He is not afraid to make a lot of moves, and big moves

You don't have to have a 100% success rate to be a great GM. But if you're right more often than you're wrong, then the more aggressive you are, the better. The hits will be big enough and come often enough to overwhelm the misses.

Holland made a lot of really bad calls, but more than that he was just so cautious. He hardly ever made trades. Detroit had by far the fewest transactions of any NHL franchise over like a ten-year period; they had like half as many as the second-fewest. (I ran the numbers once; I think it was something like by the time Holland had made his 20th cap era trade, every other team had made at least 38, and most had made 60+.)

Yzerman is smart and aggressive. I don't agree with every decision he makes but I have a lot of confidence that, overall, he will continue moving the franchise in the right direction.

Here's a fun fact:

Ken Holland made 68 total trades in his entire 22-year tenure as GM of the Detroit Red Wings (1997-2019).

Steve Yzerman has made 19 trades in less than 2 years since.

Here's a fun fact:

Ken Holland made 68 total trades in his entire 22-year tenure as GM of the Detroit Red Wings (1997-2019).

Steve Yzerman has made 19 trades in less than 2 years since.
- Sven22

Holy crap. That is an insane stat. Well done Sven

Foist!!! Thanks Jeremy!
- HenryHockey

You’re the best brother

you have an enviable GM my friend
- farooge

I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it. Sven posted that Yzerman has 19 trades in 2 yes. Holland had 68 in his entire tenure. It is mind boggling

No GM is perfect, but I think Yzerman has what I consider to be a really awesome combination of traits to have in a GM, particularly of a rebuilding franchise:

- He makes more good decisions than bad ones
- He is not afraid to make a lot of moves, and big moves

You don't have to have a 100% success rate to be a great GM. But if you're right more often than you're wrong, then the more aggressive you are, the better. The hits will be big enough and come often enough to overwhelm the misses.

Holland made a lot of really bad calls, but more than that he was just so cautious. He hardly ever made trades. Detroit had by far the fewest transactions of any NHL franchise over like a ten-year period; they had like half as many as the second-fewest. (I ran the numbers once; I think it was something like by the time Holland had made his 20th cap era trade, every other team had made at least 38, and most had made 60+.)

Yzerman is smart and aggressive. I don't agree with every decision he makes but I have a lot of confidence that, overall, he will continue moving the franchise in the right direction.
- Sven22

Yeah, i wish we still had Alec Regula, I believe he will soon be an NHL "regular". But that is the only miss I regret. His drafting seems above average. I was pulling for him to draft Marco Rossi, I put him above Raymond only because he is a center. But Stevie picked up a few promising center prospects as well. I am still concerned about the LD position, but I am confident he will plug that hole this summer, maybe with just a competent "place holder". The team is obviously in very good hands! I had wished that Stevie was promoted in '09 and just think were this team would have been! (sigh)

No GM is perfect, but I think Yzerman has what I consider to be a really awesome combination of traits to have in a GM, particularly of a rebuilding franchise:

- He makes more good decisions than bad ones
- He is not afraid to make a lot of moves, and big moves

You don't have to have a 100% success rate to be a great GM. But if you're right more often than you're wrong, then the more aggressive you are, the better. The hits will be big enough and come often enough to overwhelm the misses.

Holland made a lot of really bad calls, but more than that he was just so cautious. He hardly ever made trades. Detroit had by far the fewest transactions of any NHL franchise over like a ten-year period; they had like half as many as the second-fewest. (I ran the numbers once; I think it was something like by the time Holland had made his 20th cap era trade, every other team had made at least 38, and most had made 60+.)

Yzerman is smart and aggressive. I don't agree with every decision he makes but I have a lot of confidence that, overall, he will continue moving the franchise in the right direction.
- Sven22

Very, very well put. What a whirlwind 2 years

Mathias Brome is 26 years old and is not a kid anymore.



Boy Oh Boy.

Mathias Brome is 26 years old and is not a kid anymore.



Boy Oh Boy.
- gergeswillems

I do like his (non kid) grit and energy. Would love to see him catch on and stick. It’s a tough transition

Mathias Brome is 26 years old and is not a kid anymore.



Boy Oh Boy.
- gergeswillems

In 2 games he had a goal and an assist in GR

Is anyone watching Washington tonight? Mantha is on the roster list at this point. Just give me a thumbs up or something to let me know

Is anyone watching Washington tonight? Mantha is on the roster list at this point. Just give me a thumbs up or something to let me know
- Jeremy Laura

The game is on NBCSN at 7, against the Flyers. He should pot a few!

I have a feeling they are going to work some magic in this year's draft. The QMJHL is on a half schedule, the WHL is on a quarter schedule, the BCHL is about a tenth of a schedule and OHL players haven't played in a year. The USHL isn't too far off normal, but NCAA teams also played a partial schedule. There are going to be some diamonds in this draft that get overlooked. At this time last year, Aatu Räty was pretty much a consensus #1 for this year's draft. Now most sites have him 20th or later. There would have been so much movement on the early mock drafts during a normal season, but with so many either not playing, or only playing a fraction of a season, we really have no idea. This is where the teams with the best scouting will shine. I suspect a lot of NCAA and European players will go higher than they normally would, and while I realize this isn't the deepest draft year, there are going to be some surprises taken in the later rounds. There's so much development that happens between 17 and 18 and the biggest feeder league isn't playing. It'll be really cool to watch how it all plays out.

I have a feeling they are going to work some magic in this year's draft. The QMJHL is on a half schedule, the WHL is on a quarter schedule, the BCHL is about a tenth of a schedule and OHL players haven't played in a year. The USHL isn't too far off normal, but NCAA teams also played a partial schedule. There are going to be some diamonds in this draft that get overlooked. At this time last year, Aatu Räty was pretty much a consensus #1 for this year's draft. Now most sites have him 20th or later. There would have been so much movement on the early mock drafts during a normal season, but with so many either not playing, or only playing a fraction of a season, we really have no idea. This is where the teams with the best scouting will shine. I suspect a lot of NCAA and European players will go higher than they normally would, and while I realize this isn't the deepest draft year, there are going to be some surprises taken in the later rounds. There's so much development that happens between 17 and 18 and the biggest feeder league isn't playing. It'll be really cool to watch how it all plays out.
- bluelineenforcer

I completely agree. Last year I’d written that I thought North American kids were going to suffer in regards to scouting/drafting. I didn’t know how much. Every kid who decided to go to Europe probably gave themselves a huge career boost. Not just for scouting, but missing a year of development at 18 is painful. They grow so much around this time. You see the difference in kids who train all summer and those who don’t, this is exponentially bigger.

Thankfully, Yzerman is fantastic in European scouting. He does a shocking amount of his own, and his brother is on the same page. I think the most frustrating picks are going to be in the top 10. Either you go with what you thought a year ago or go with what you were able to see in Europe. Very, very well put. Thanks for that

I completely agree. Last year I’d written that I thought North American kids were going to suffer in regards to scouting/drafting. I didn’t know how much. Every kid who decided to go to Europe probably gave themselves a huge career boost. Not just for scouting, but missing a year of development at 18 is painful. They grow so much around this time. You see the difference in kids who train all summer and those who don’t, this is exponentially bigger.

Thankfully, Yzerman is fantastic in European scouting. He does a shocking amount of his own, and his brother is on the same page. I think the most frustrating picks are going to be in the top 10. Either you go with what you thought a year ago or go with what you were able to see in Europe. Very, very well put. Thanks for that
- Jeremy Laura

And so, we move from heartbreak (for some...) to the next romance: the Draft. As has so eloquently been stated...been so eloquently stated...been stated so elo....ah, HELL: Someone said smart stuff.... Drafting this year will be incredibly difficult. The best scouting team will pull some zingers, TheyTube will register a brazillion hit, and folks are gonna say "WHO?!?!?" I'm anxious to see what moves are made prw-draft and what the expansion protected lists look like. Summer's gonna be a scorcher. Trust the Yzerplan....so hard to do, remove emotion (my mantha...I mean MANTRA the past 2 days), and get ready to click like a D-Boss. Would love to see the Bettman's balls fall (off, oopps...sorry - insert Bluto's voice here) our way for once, but wish in 1 hand n ship in the other. Until then...

Veleno's gonna get some time, Seider's gonna gett some time...positions are opening, great chance to show whatcha got.

Draper better show well this year ("All we need is 1 pin, Rodney" - Miller Lite commercial, sheesh it sucks getting old!!!)...

Here's a fun fact:

Ken Holland made 68 total trades in his entire 22-year tenure as GM of the Detroit Red Wings (1997-2019).

Steve Yzerman has made 19 trades in less than 2 years since.
- Sven22

How many of the Holland trades were deadline deals of either giving up draft picks/prospects for players or trading players for draft picks? I don't remember Holland doing a lot of hockey trades (NHL player for NHL player). If he did they were likely 4th liners.

It's okay, you got a great Helm-esque grinder, potentially a center not sure where that one landed, for your 3rd line in return. Oh, and Vrana.

How many of the Holland trades were deadline deals of either giving up draft picks/prospects for players or trading players for draft picks? I don't remember Holland doing a lot of hockey trades (NHL player for NHL player). If he did they were likely 4th liners.
- dcz28

Holland never would've made a trade like Yzerman did yesterday. He was "play it safe" Kenny Holland after the Salary Cap was implemented. Kenny liked giving up futures as in draft picks and prospects.

He traded Anders Eriksson and 2 1sts for Chris Chelios in 1999.

Slava Kozlov and a 1st for Dominik Hasek in 2001. Not a trade deadline deal. Helped by the fact Hasek threatened to retire if he wasn't traded to Detroit or St. Louis.

Jason Williams for Kyle Calder in 2007.

Todd Bertuzzi for Shawn Matthias and a 2nd in 2007.

Sean Avery, Max Kuznetsov, 1st, 2nd for Mathieu Schneider in 2003.

Thomas Fleischmann, 1st, 4th for Robert Lang in 2004.

And so, we move from heartbreak (for some...) to the next romance: the Draft. As has so eloquently been stated...been so eloquently stated...been stated so elo....ah, HELL: Someone said smart stuff.... Drafting this year will be incredibly difficult. The best scouting team will pull some zingers, TheyTube will register a brazillion hit, and folks are gonna say "WHO?!?!?" I'm anxious to see what moves are made prw-draft and what the expansion protected lists look like. Summer's gonna be a scorcher. Trust the Yzerplan....so hard to do, remove emotion (my mantha...I mean MANTRA the past 2 days), and get ready to click like a D-Boss. Would love to see the Bettman's balls fall (off, oopps...sorry - insert Bluto's voice here) our way for once, but wish in 1 hand n ship in the other. Until then...

Veleno's gonna get some time, Seider's gonna gett some time...positions are opening, great chance to show whatcha got.

Draper better show well this year ("All we need is 1 pin, Rodney" - Miller Lite commercial, sheesh it sucks getting old!!!)...
- mcmastermike1968

Seider's team is doing well in the play-offs and he may not get ANY games here this year. Also, there is a 1 week quarintine also..... We may not see him here til training camp.......

Mantha has a vast improvement in linemates. He is with Backstrom and Oshie!! He shoud do some scoring now!

Mantha has a vast improvement in linemates. He is with Backstrom and Oshie!! He shoud do some scoring now!
- HenryHockey

Mantha should score tonight. Caps have already scored 4 goals in the 1st period. He has an assist.