One of Yzerman's former players lays out what went wrong with the Red Wings

Tyler Johnson spent some of the most important years of his NHL career with the Tampa Bay Lightning, and a big part of that story was his relationship with Steve Yzerman. Now, with Yzerman's time as general manager of the Detroit Red Wings officially over, Johnson has offered an interesting glimpse into what made Yzerman so successful in Tampa — and perhaps some clues about what went wrong in Detroit.

Johnson, who signed with Tampa Bay as an undrafted free agent in 2011 and eventually became one of the most important forwards on the Lightning, was part of the organization Yzerman helped build from the ground up. Yzerman took over as Tampa Bay's GM in 2010 and played a major role in constructing the core that would eventually become a perennial Stanley Cup contender. Johnson himself became a key piece of that group, scoring 72 points during the 2014-15 regular season and helping the Lightning reach the Stanley Cup Final that spring.

Speaking today about his former GM, Johnson made it clear that his experience with Yzerman in Tampa was overwhelmingly positive.

"All I could really speak on is when Yzerman was in Tampa, he did an unbelievable job. The guys loved him," Johnson said.

Perhaps more importantly, Johnson described a management style that sounds considerably different from what has been reported about Yzerman's tenure in Detroit.

"He was a guy that he told you exactly how it was. It didn't matter who you were. He just spoke his mind. He allowed people to talk and figure things out, and he gave kind of a long leash to a lot of different guys."

That last part is particularly interesting when looking back at Yzerman's Detroit tenure.

Yzerman returned to the Red Wings in 2019 as general manager and was tasked with rebuilding the franchise he had captained to three Stanley Cups as a player. But after seven seasons without a playoff appearance, Yzerman stepped away from the GM position in July 2026 and moved into a senior advisory role. Detroit subsequently named Shawn Horcoff interim GM on Tuesday.

Johnson suggested that one of the differences may have been the level of input coming from the people around Yzerman.

"I know Coop had a lot of say in like how our team was made," Johnson said, referring to longtime Lightning head coach Jon Cooper. "I know Julien obviously had a lot, and then you see he steps in and not missing a beat because Yzerman just kind of allowed everybody to really pitch in right away."

That's an interesting perspective considering how difficult things became in Detroit. Johnson isn't claiming to know exactly what happened behind closed doors, and he was careful to acknowledge that.

"So I can't speak why it's happening in Detroit that way. I don't know what's going on behind closed doors," Johnson said.

But he did offer one particularly intriguing comment.

"From what I heard not everyone got to speak their mind in Detroit."

That doesn't necessarily explain the Red Wings' struggles, but it certainly raises questions about whether Yzerman was able to recreate the collaborative environment that existed in Tampa. Detroit's rebuild produced players such as Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider, but the organization never accumulated enough difference-makers to break through. The Red Wings missed the playoffs throughout Yzerman's tenure, with their drought reaching 10 seasons.

Johnson was also quick to make sure his comments weren't interpreted as a condemnation of Yzerman.

"Steve is such a great hockey mind. He's a great person, and I wish it would have worked a little bit better for him, especially being the icon he is in Detroit Red Wings lore."

And perhaps that's the biggest takeaway from Johnson's comments. Whatever went wrong in Detroit, the Yzerman Johnson remembers is the same executive who helped build Tampa Bay into a powerhouse — a GM willing to listen, empower the people around him and let them have a voice.

Johnson added that he's "sure" Yzerman would want to do a few things differently if given the opportunity.

Considering how dramatically different Yzerman's Tampa Bay and Detroit chapters ultimately turned out, it's hard not to wonder whether the answer lies somewhere in that difference.