Yzerman has lured one of the Lightning's top executives to Detroit!

A huge coup for Yzerman.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 4 years ago
Yzerman has lured one of the Lightning's top executives to Detroit!

Former Detroit Red Wings superstar and current Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman has just pulled off his first big move as the Red Wings new GM.

According to a report from TSN National Hockey League insider Bob McKenzie it now appears that Yzerman has managed to lure one of Tampa Bay's top executives away from the Lightning. McKenzie reports that joining Yzerman in Detroit will be none other than Pat Verbeek, a former member of the Detroit Red Wings in his own right. Verbeek of course played two seasons as a player in the twilight of his National Hockey League career for the Red Wings, but that is not why Yzerman will be looking to bring him in.

No you see Verbeek was actually one of the most valuable executives in the Lightning organization, filling both the role of Director of Player Personnel and the role of assistant general manager under Yzerman himself. It is not very difficult to see why Yzerman, who leaned on Verbeek in Tampa Bay, would want him around once again and it is equally easy to see how this will prove to be a major blow to the Tampa Bay Lightning organization. 

Not only have the Lightning lost their general manager and replaced him with a rookie general manager in Julien Brisebois but they are also losing some of the key pieces that were around Yzerman as well, key pieces that helped to build the Lightning into one of the most successful organizations in the modern day NHL. When you consider the collapse that they just experienced in the first round of the playoffs, it is going to be a very difficult offseason of readjusting and cap management for the Lightning moving forward. 

Obviously this is not an ideal situation if you are a fan of the Tampa Bay Lightning but there is I suppose a silver lining here. McKenzie initially suspected that many more Lightning executives could have gone the same way as Verbeek, but it looks like Verbeek will be the only one.

As mentioned on the @TSNHockey #Bobcast on Friday, TB AGM Pat Verbeek will be joining Steve Yzerman in DET. But Jamie Pushor, Stacy Roest and Al Murray will remain with TB. There had been speculation some of them might have gone to DET too but they’re staying with the Bolts.

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