Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman made a triumphant return in April of 2019 to the franchise that he led for over two decades on the ice - though he was quick to warn the ecstatic fan base who had grown tired of the hampering moves made by Ken Holland that it was going to take time to undo the damage and to begin to field a competitive team again.
Yzerman has overhauled nearly the entire roster in the five years that he's been at the helm as GM, and while there have been plenty of improvements, Detroit still is mired in a postseason drought - and right now, they're not getting many friendly predictions from pundits of getting back to the postseason in 2024.
And to that end, fan confidence in the "Yzerplan" is slipping. According to a recent polling from The Athletic, fan confidence in Yzerman has fallen from 3rd overall in the NHL to 12th.
Author Dom Luszczyszyn writes:
"Confidence in the Yzerplan is at an all-time low, especially from the public. It’s hard to build a true contender without the lottery luck to nab franchise players, but it feels wrong to attempt to turn the corner without them. That’s seemed to be Detroit’s plan the last two summers with the team making a lot of additions via free agency — many of which don’t look great (hello Ben Chiarot). A big-time trade for Alex DeBrincat signifies the team is gunning for a playoff spot this year which begs the question: Is this it?
For better or worse, this is the team, and while they will be augmented in the future by a strong prospect pipeline, the team is still missing true elite difference-makers — the ones that contenders are built around. Maybe it’s enough to be a playoff team, but it feels like it limits Detroit’s ceiling beyond that.
This is a make-or-break year for the Yzerplan and the confidence that it’s instilled in the past. The Red Wings have missed the playoffs for seven straight seasons and it doesn’t feel likely the streak will break this season."
If the Red Wings don't make a serious push for the playoffs this spring, expect to see the fan confidence level slip even further.
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