Ideal outcomes at the trade deadline for the Detroit Red Wings.

Since becoming General Manager of the Detroit Red Wings, Steve Yzerman has emphasised two key points to remember during the rebuilding process.

From the moment Steve Yzerman became the General Manager of the Detroit Red Wings, he has preached two critical aspects to remember during the rebuild. First, patience. As excited as the fanbase was when their captain returned to the motor city to lead the team, albeit in a different position, in pursuit of more championships, he made it very clear that it would take time to build the kind of team that they needed to do so. Although I do not believe they are quite there yet with their current roster, it is certainly starting to take shape. The excitement is at an all-time high since Stevie has returned.

The second aspect that Yzerman has preached is his belief in sustainability. As fun as any season may seem in the moment, we must look past that and realize that any decisions made do not hurt the team’s long-term future. Having an exciting one-off season means nearly nothing if that success cannot be sustained into consistent playoff runs year after year. As the trade deadline approaches, it is vital to remember this mindset as Detroit Red Wings fans. Hockey fans love big news and huge splashes in acquiring assets for their favorite team. It’s fun, and it keeps us engaged in the league down the stretch into the postseason, but when the dust settles, we are left looking at a shell of the team that

Currently, the Detroit Red Wings are on a roll with six wins in the last seven games. They have outscored their opponents 29-14 in that span. After an abysmal December, Detroit has firmly placed themselves in a wildcard spot and are nipping on the heels of Toronto for 3rd place in the division. They are now in a unique position where they can make additions at the deadline in an attempt to make a deep playoff run, or they could sell off the number of pending free agents they have on the roster. I believe there are three ideal paths for Yzerman to take before 3 pm on March 8th.