Year-end Lalonde and Yzerman press conference

[Pop Zeus]

[Pop Zeus]

Disappointed in what I could see from Yzerman's approach.
Berggren and Johansson could make the team - because... they're running out of waivers eligibility and would get claimed????

Hopes to make the playoffs, but doesn't want to say he expects it?
With what? A team that's going to lose a keep veteran or two, and have to live through through more rookie mistakes, that probably won't have the same fortune despite bottom 5 metrics, and that will probably need 95-96 points to get in.


He also sounds a little behind the times when it comes to buying RFA years....
Motherfucker, when Cozens signs for 7x7, sure, you're buying a UFA year or two, but more relevantly, you're buying what should be his most productive years. You pay the kids because the kids produce.
You don't wait until they are 27-28 and overpay them so you get their slide at premium price.

[Stevie_Wings]

Yeah the Cozens deal isn't looking so great; $7M for 18 goals and 42 points, Sprong did that for $2M playing on the 4th line and in 3 less games. Cozens got paid for 1 decent season and he only has that 1 good season out of 4 in the league now, at some point you gotta wonder if he overachieved for the contract.

[Pop Zeus]

Yeah the Cozens deal isn't looking so great; $7M for 18 goals and 42 points, Sprong did that for $2M playing on the 4th line and in 3 less games. Cozens got paid for 1 decent season and he only has that 1 good season out of 4 in the league now, at some point you gotta wonder if he overachieved for the contract.

Sprong wasn't the team's defensive matchup guy. Sprong didn't PK. Sprong didn't lead the team in faceoffs.
Cozens is gonna be just fine.

It's happening all over the league.
Good young players are getting 8 year deals.
GMs are wising up. Pay the premium for your young guns' prime.
Yzerman seems like he might want to bridge deal Seider and Raymond. Holland-esque.

[Stevie_Wings]

Yeah I'm sure Cozens was all that but he's still been paid to put up points, not be Glendening.
The contract part goes both ways; Matthews bridged so that's also going to be a trend that gets going. The players have a say and sometimes they want the security and sometimes they want to bet on themselves and wait for the cap to go up and bridge now to get a raise later.

[Pop Zeus]

Yeah I'm sure Cozens was all that but he's still been paid to put up points, not be Glendening.
The contract part goes both ways; Matthews bridged so that's also going to be a trend that gets going. The players have a say and sometimes they want the security and sometimes they want to bet on themselves and wait for the cap to go up and bridge now to get a raise later.

Matthews bridged years ago.
There's a new trend underway. Obvious to anyone paying attention.

[DelHowLich]

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman said he’d like to sign Shayne Gostisbehere to a new contract. The 31-year-old puckmoving defenseman had 56 points with the Wings this season. Yzerman called him “a valuable player for how we’re set up on the back end.”

[Zattaman]

Calls Johansson a puck-moving machine, but wants to re-sign a guy who was -16 for the year, whose primary contribution was on the PP, and who had the most favorable offensive zone stars on the team aside from Patrick Kane.

Give those types of match ups to Edvinsson and he'll score you 50 points as well.

[Pop Zeus]

The playoffs are more important to Yzerman than the rebuild.
He thinks he's gonna mid-round pick and UFA his way to success.

[Pop Zeus]

Yzerman's conference.
* This season was progress - more than the Wings - the organization.
* Young players excelling in GR and even those who aren't pro yet.
* Expectations reset? They are raised for individuals. Probably need to improve to get in the playoffs and that will be a challenge. But his vision is more about the overall org. Hopes the changes lead to more wins and playoffs.
* Yzerman doesn't see any dramatic changes. Yzerman hopes Berggren and Johansson make the team. Detroit has to make room for them and they have to earn it.
* Goaltending: Around the league, everyone is looking for a goalie, 1, 2 or 3. Most teams needed 3 goalies. All 3 goalies had a positive impact on the team. But they need to be better. Whole team needs to be better at keeping the puck out of the net.
* Improve the GA? Wings have 7 D under contract + maybe Gost. It's not just goalies and D, it's the entire team. Coaching staff must instill and improve the system or execution. GA is a challenge around hockey. It's a more offensive league. But the best teams are good at defensive play.
* Where does Johansson fit? Not just hand the job to him. Pleased with development. At training camp he needs to earn a spot.
* Approach of when to bring kids up: Some weren't coming up, period. Didn't want to shuffle kids back and forth.
* Axel Pelikka - Expect him to be in Sweden next year - but haven't talked to him yet. Had a good WJCs and been good in Sweden. He needs time. Moves the puck, skates, handles the puck. Fun player. Needs time. Different than the rest of the D. He should fit in well.
* Center depth needs addressing? Team has depth, but maybe not offensive depth. If you're not scoring, you better be good defensively. 9th in scoring this year. Prospects Nate and Kasper are coming. Not ruling anything out. But we should have depth down the road.
* Raymond: Showed it down the stretch. All the key goals. Think's he'll continue. His big growth was strength and confidence. He gets runover, he gets up and goes. Great hockey sense, talent, plays with courage and determination.
* Kane: 4 pending UFAs up front and Gost and Reimer. Meeting with players. Expressed interest in bringing them all back. Some RFAs have a significant impact on salary cap. Interested in ALL of those players to a certain level - but he's got a couple guys. Really needs to start thinking about the cap now. Kane was great. A wizard. His sense. Calmness with the puck. Brought a lot of swagger to the team. Personality is under the radar and quiet.
* Long deals out of entry level: Judge for yourself. There are a lot? How many improve value to the team? How much more would get if unrestricted. Term and $ gotta work for both parties. It can be dangerous to pay for potential. Those deals make you have cap issues.
* Raymond/Seider deals: Has ideas for longer/shorter deals. They know the rangers. We ask wither give 4 UFAs or 3s, you gotta pay a premium for those years. He looks around the league and says, if that guy was a UFA would he have gotten any more? It's gotten more complicated.
* Gost -Is there a case to be made for fitting him in again? Yes. Adds the to depth of the core. He generates O and helps the PP. Contract aside, it's about making this all fit. Carry 8 defensemen? No significant injuries on blueline this year.
* Lalonde: it was a roller coaster season. We were humming along and then we couldn't win a game. A lot of good things. Competed hard. Energy. Enthusiasm. Determination. Most importantly, players motivated, determined and good environment on team. Coaching staff fosters that. Have to be a better defensive hockey team. Basic defensive fundamentals, at times we struggled with them.
* Watching Philly-Washington: Give Washington credit. Philly scored - it was a terrible call - the no goal. Perron scores, everyone is excited. And they pulled the goalie, and it we were done. It was great and then it wasn't.
* Seider's defensive role: Tremendous young player. Shows up every game, blocks shots, gets hit. asking him to do a lot. Has mental toughness to weather it all. To handle minutes vs McDavid, etc. As team gets better, his role might change a bit, allowing him to display the offensive side of things more. As get better, we start more in the Ozone.
* Young players - Yzerman has been conservative with the slow route. Even Seider spent 2 years in SWE and AHL. If they are ready and can thrive... great. If not have an impact in NHL, stay in AHL and college in junior until ready. Big games, important games, great growth in the playoff run.
* Appetite for success among fans, playoff expectations: Yzerman hopes to make it. Don't want to say it's an expectation. It's going to be a challenge. Big decisions must be made. If 1-2 younger guys give us a boost to win more, gives a better chance. We pissed by a point, Pittsburgh, Philly right there. Hard to make the playoffs. It's a good system. I long for the 21 team league where 16 teams made it. Need development from Mo, Raymond, Dylan's gotta be a bit better - collectively defensively.
* Larkin: Right around a point a game, 30 goals again, all situations, asserted himself in Toronto and vs Montreal. He's evolving in a lot of good ways. Effective in bumper role. Good job on pk. Continues to evolve. He was motivated down the stretch. It was great for him.
* Wings when Larkin was out: When we miss offensive, we need another centerman or impact forward to offset the loss of the production. But gotta find ways to win. Better tighten up defensively. Within, the maturation of younger guys, generate offense. It's reasonable to say we should have won more. Teams lose top players all the time and find a way to win games.
* Lyon - not waiving: Wings debated trading/waiving a goalie. Husso got hurt. Lyon and Husso both played well at times. The decision was made by circumstance.
* Perron: Down the stretch, he's a champ, he thrives on the pressure. He's a take charge guy, Not moment is too big. He has a positive impact on the team. Have to give strong consideration to bring back. Reaction to goal - got a break on the icing call - but the goal was kind of a bizarre moment.
* Mo, Raymond at the WCs - Sure. They are great experiences. Would support them playing.
* Simon play with Seider or split: As much as you plan, depends on the mix. Both big, fast, strong and they play good D.
* Cossa: Another positive year. More starts. Progress. Going in the right direction. Can't answer that. Don't want to underestimate or treat disrespectfully or put undue pressure. He's stopping more pucks. Hoping GR has a long run, hope it puts him closer to the NHL. Very encouraged by attitude and performance.
* Director or Pro Scouting: ? Nobody under the title, but the pro scouting staff.
* Travis City Tournament: Reality is Detroit and Dallas are gonna play two games.