For seven years, Steve Yzerman was the GM of the Detroit Red Wings and promised to bring a winning culture back to Detroit after years of mediocrity. Yet after another regular-season collapse, the Yzerman Plan came crashing down, for good.
Steve Yzerman will no longer serve as the team's General Manager and instead transition to being an Advisor, the team announced this morning 😳 pic.twitter.com/cgvKQYDQk0
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— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) July 15, 2026
On April 19, 2019, Yzerman was announced as the next Red Wings GM. At the time, Detroit, a powerhouse in the Eastern Conference, had missed the playoffs for the third straight season and had fired GM Ken Holland. Prior to that, the Red Wings had made the playoffs for 25 consecutive seasons from 1991-2016, winning four Stanley Cups during that time.
When Yzerman became GM, he announced the Yzerman Plan. The plan was broken down into three phases, with each phase planning to last three years. The core rebuilding phase, which was focused on getting high draft picks and letting bad contract expire to build younger talent. Then there was the transition period. This brought in veterans to support the youth and focused on bringing in better coaching. Finally, there was the playoff contention. This was where Detroit would finally be back in the playoffs contending for the Stanley Cup once again.
The Yzerman Plan started on a high note. Young stars like Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider took center stage for the Red Wings and the pieces were beginning to come together. However, it all came crashing down.
For the past three seasons, Detroit has just barely missed the playoffs the past three seasons. This past season alone was the worst collapse for Detroit. They started the season 32-16-5 with 69 points atop the Atlantic Division. Yet, they finished the season 41-31-10, missing the playoffs.
To make matter worse, their star player and captain, Dylan Larkin, has seemed to have given up. Larkin has spent his entire 11-year career with Detroit. The local, who has become the face of the franchise, has become unhappy and impatient with how things have turned out. His dissatisfaction has become a major concern for Detroit this offseason, which may have been the final straw for Yzerman to step down.
It’s now been 10 years since Detroit last made the playoffs, and it feels as though the mess is larger than when Yzerman started. A once promising start has come back down to Earth. With no clear direction moving forward, it was only best for Yzerman to step down.
As for Yzerman, it may take time for his reputation to recover. The man who dominated for Detroit on the ice, just unfortunately couldn’t do it off the ice. However, he gave Detroit hope at a time when there wasn’t any. Unfortunately, what Yzerman left behind won’t be a quick and easy fix. Detroit’s most beloved player from the past 50 years couldn’t do it, so it’s time to find someone who can.
