The majority of Red Wings fans seem to have mixed feelings about the one move Steve Yzerman made at the Trade Deadline this year. But the one consistent is that everybody seems confused about why he made the deal.
Steve Yzerman has done it again, leaving the entire Red Wings fan base bewildered with another shocking move at this season’s trade deadline.
It’s safe to say that unless your name is “Steve Yzerman,” no one truly knows what the Red Wings GM is planning to do next. This unpredictability often hits fans with a mix of emotions all at once.
Yzerman’s latest trade, which saw Joe Veleno sent to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Craig Smith and Petr Mrazek, initially left many fans feeling confused, frustrated, and a bit of both. I can’t say I blame them—it was an unexpected move that doesn’t seem to change much in the grand scheme of things.
I’m not sure I’m a fan of this…
Mrazek has been decent, but he’s signed for another year at $4.25 million, which doesn’t seem ideal. Craig Smith provides some depth, but he’s a pending UFA and only a slight upgrade over Veleno.
During his trade deadline press conference, Yzerman mentioned that the team was pursuing several players, but the prices were simply too high to justify making a move.
Fans were understandably confused by Yzerman’s latest trade. The deal didn’t make much sense overall. Craig Smith is a modest upgrade over Joe Veleno, but Petr Mrazek doesn’t seem to contribute much beyond adding $4.2 million to the cap for the rest of this season and next. Additionally, his presence could create a roadblock for Sebastian Cossa’s potential spot on the roster next season.
This left many fans puzzled, with the biggest question being, “Why Mrazek?” While the goaltending position does need help, Mrazek wasn’t exactly considered a top choice to solve that issue. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much Yzerman could do with the high asking prices for most players. For a team like the Red Wings, the cost of upgrading was too steep to address the lineup’s shortcomings.
Rumors of Jordan Binnington being available, as well as the persistent John Gibson trade rumors, combined with fan expectations, turned initial confusion into frustration and disappointment. This led to some fans questioning Yzerman’s vision for the team, with some even calling for him to be fired.
In his press conference, Yzerman clarified that the team wasn’t in a position to trade first and second-round picks or top prospects like Nate Danielson, Marco Kasper, and Axel Sandin-Pellikka. He also emphasized that they weren’t interested in players who didn’t fit their age range or were purely rentals. The players who met those criteria but came with term were too expensive, and Yzerman wasn’t willing to jeopardize the future for a fleeting shot at the playoffs.
It’s important for fans to remember that the Red Wings are only about four or five years removed from being one of the worst teams in NHL history, with the previous management regime’s draft misses still lingering. In fact, with the trade of Veleno, the only Ken Holland draft picks left in the organization are Dylan Larkin, Michael Rasmussen, and Jonatan Berggren—Berggren being the only player drafted in 2018 still with the team.
This highlights just how little Yzerman had to work with when he took over in 2019.
