Three Takeaways From Steve Yzerman's Pre-Draft Presser

This morning, Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman gave a press conference lasting just under an hour, fielding questions about his approach to the coming offseason.  Here are a few key takeaways from his remarks:

From left: Ken Holland, Steve Yzerman and Christopher Ilitch at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on April 19, 2019 © Helene St. James/Detroit Free Press

Free Agent Negotiations

Of course, the priority for Detroit's summer is the long-term future of twin budding superstars Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond.  In discussing the Red Wings' approach to free agency, Yzerman highlighted that point, saying:

"Going into free agency, I'm gonna stick to the plan.  We are trying to build a team that's not just gonna make the playoffs one year and not the next year...Whether it's with our own free agents or others, we're going to be selective and try to address certain needs...We won't be able to sign all of our unrestricted free agents. I can't even guarantee we'll sign any of them, but we have interest in signing them, and ultimately it becomes—again it's gonna come down to term and dollars...I think it's safe to say, Lucas and Moritz Seider, their contracts are going to go up significantly. And that's going to take up a major portion of our cap and I have to be aware of that. And I have to plan for that. So that'll limit what we can do in other areas."

Unsurprisingly, there's not much there by way of firm commitments in that sentiment, but it does lay out the fundamental objective of the summer: Lock in Seider and Raymond, and then build out the best possible roster with what remains.  He did specifically note (in response to a question on the subject) that he and agent Pat Brisson of CAA Hockey have agreed to stay in touch regarding Patrick Kane's free agency.

Complicating matters is the fact that it doesn't sound as though Seider and Raymond's extensions are especially imminent, even as we are now inside of 10 days from the draft and free agent period.  When asked about the importance of getting those deals done before moving on to his other offseason business, Yzerman replied:

"I'm just gonna have to work around. Ultimately, I can't force anything.  They'll get done in due time...I prefer to have them done, but to be quite honest, I don't anticipate that happening at this stage. And we'll just work around it and make decisions along the way fully aware...that we will try to get them under contract or plan to get them under contract."

While many Red Wing fans anticipated or hoped those deals would be done soon, it sounds as though Yzerman is not of the same mind.  Of course that's a challenge, and perhaps it signals that these haven't been the easiest of negotiations, but there remains no doubt that Seider and Raymond will remain Red Wings in the long term, and while the exact figures are yet to be set, I suspect he has a good enough idea of the range in which they will land to go about his other business comfortably.

Plans for Pick 15

Yzerman also discussed his plans for the Red Wings first round draft pick:

"That 15th pick, that's still a pretty high pick.  It's important that we get a good player.  It's important that honestly we get a player that plays for us in the NHL [eventually].  We need that.  It's not as simple as we all think or as automatic as we all like to think it is.  When you're picking high, you wanna make sure that you get a good prospect, regardless of the position.  I think over the course of each draft, you have to really start thinking about...how many prospects you have at each position, because ultimately, when they turn pro, you've got to find a spot for them to play."

He noted that he would be "open" to trading the pic in the right scenario but added, "We traded a first round pick actually in this year's draft for Alex DeBrincat last summer. Turned out to be a late first that Ottawa has, so I'm not afraid of doing that, but I don't anticipate at this stage us making a trade for a player that would involve the 15th pick."  He also emphasized that Detroit is "more than comfortable sitting where we are, very confident we're going to get a prospect that will be on our team one day and have a positive impact for us."

As far as draft day maneuvering is concerned, Yzerman said that those sorts of negotiations tend to happen on the draft floor, not in the build up: "Moving up or down, we look at the teams that are around us, and we contact them in advance, just to say what's your level of interest and moving up or moving down...we'll see how it plays out on the floor and and those decisions happen really like two or three picks before yours is coming up"

Again, it should come as no surprise that Yzerman did not exactly offer an update resplendent with detail, but I would take his claim that he doesn't intend (and of course those intentions could change) to move the pick for a roster player in the style of last Summer's Alex DeBrincat trade (which of course didn't come until after the actual draft).

Goaltending Update

Beyond Raymond and Seider's next contracts, the biggest question for the Red Wings to answer this summer concerns the goaltending room.  Detroit returns Ville Husso and Alex Lyon as proven NHL goaltenders under contract, but neither has successfully completed a season as a full-time number one option, whether due to injury or opportunity.  With that in mind, it's fair to at least wonder whether a move ight be in store.

Here's what Yzerman said with respect to his goaltending room and the external goaltending market:

"First of all, we expect Ville to be 100% ready to go at the start of training camp.  We can't predict future injuries.  We're hopeful that he's healthy, but we will certainly look [at the goalie market] with both Alex and Ville with one year to go on the contracts.  We certainly have the option of extending them.  Ville's season was kind of a write-off just due to injury, and we can't be overly critical of that.  It happened.  Ville didn't like it.  We didn't like it, but it happened.  So we're hoping he rebounds, and when he's been healthy, he's been good for us.  And Alex, Alex I think played a bigger role than any of us expected, and he and James were part of the reason we were in the playoff race down the stretch.  We'll look at the goalie market, and if something makes sense for us to do that we think improves us.  Whether that be via trade or free agency, we're not opposed to doing that.  I know we have two, but I do now we need to try to see if we can improve our team, but having said that, I don't anticipate...using prime assets, whatever you would consider those to be, to acquire say an older goaltender that might not be here two, three, four years from now."

In that sentiment, Yzerman certainly doesn't express that he intends without doubt to acquire a proven NHL starter, but he very much does leave that possibility open.  He says that Detroit won't use "prime assets" (defined broadly) to bring a goaltender who won't be around for the long haul, but that doesn't rule out a trade without those prime assets or one for a younger netminder who might be a Red Wing for the long haul.

On the subject of young goaltenders, Yzerman was effusive in his praise of Sebastian Cossa, while also saying that he expects Cossa to spend next season in the AHL, not with the Red Wings:

"Regarding Sebastian, he had a very good year.  We're very pleased with his progress.  I don't rule out any player coming to training camp and standing on his head or playing brilliantly and forcing us to re-evaluate our plan, but right now, I'd anticipate Sebastian playing and playing an even bigger role in Grand Rapids next year.  We will look to add a goaltender there, and I don't see us really doing three goaltenders [in the NHL] throughout the season.  That wasn't really the plan last year either, but injury kinda dictated that."

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