The Detroit Red Wings have been in NHL purgatory for a number of years now, as they’ve been the worst team in the league just once over the past decade, but in that time, they’ve failed to reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs, despite adding franchise icon Steve Yzerman as their potential savior in the General Manager role.
However, there’s only so much failure that a team can take, and on Wednesday, the organization signalled that they’d reached their breaking point, as they officially moved on from Yzerman in the GM and President of Hockey Operations role as he transitions to an advisor role with the organization. With the off-season well underway and the looming Dylan Larkin decision, the team will look to move quickly to find Yzerman’s replacement, and according to reports, they may only need to look to another Red Wings Stanley Cup winner.
Brendan Shanahan Named Possible Steve Yzerman Replacement
GettyFormer Red Wing Brendan Shanahan.
Immediately after the move, several names were suggested as potential replacements for Yzerman in Detroit, some bringing optimism for the future while others feel like a simple retread, and according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on NHL Tonight, there’s one name that stands out as an option for the Red Wings.
“You’re gonna hear a lot of names like Brendan Shanahan, that was one of the first people I thought of,” said Friedman.
That’s not to say that the Red Wings will be rushing to hire Shanahan no matter what, as they will certainly do their due diligence as they look to break their decade long post-season drought, but in Shanahan, there is a person that knows the city and the organization with plenty of front office experience.
Could Shanahan Help Bring the Red Wings Back to Prominence?
Over 21 years in the NHL as a player, Shanahan had immense success, but most of that came with the Red Wings, as he was a significant part of three Stanley Cups with the organization, and following his career, he’s enjoyed front office roles with the league office, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Hockey Canada. However, there’s always been a belief that after his Maple Leafs departure, he would look to find a new GM/President of Hockey Operations role, and given the ties to Detroit, he makes perfect sense as a candidate for one of those two roles to replace his long-time teammate.
Following his stint in Toronto, there was plenty of criticism sent Shanahan’s way for how things ended up with the ‘Core Four’ era, but that experience in a role will help him if he does indeed look to interview with Detroit. Ultimately, the Red Wings have a solid foundational group with Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond and some intriguing prospects, so the GM/PoHO role with an Original Six franchise will be a coveted one around the NHL, and if the Red Wings aren’t intending on reinventing the wheel for their hire, than the 57-year-old Shanahan may be a top option for the organization.
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