Did The Red Wings' Steve Yzerman Fail At The Trade Deadline?

Another trade deadline has passed for the Detroit Red Wings. The scenario for the original six teams has been a hunt for the playoffs.

Under Todd McLellan earlier in the year, they'd played lights-out hockey and were poised to dominate the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference.

Since then, they lost their captain, Dylan Larkin, to injury. While he's returning tonight, at the end of the year, we might hear a common refrain we've heard from before.

Larkin calling out Yzerman in April, 2025:

It was hard that we didn’t do anything,” Larkin said. “And then I felt the group kind of — we didn’t gain any momentum from the trade deadline and guys were kind of down about it. It’d be nice to add something and bring a little bit of a spark on the ice, and maybe a morale boost as well.

Modest Additions Not Good Enough For Playoff Ambitions

That general manager Steve Yzerman failed to make a splash during the March deadline. This year wasn't any different than the last, as Yzerman arguably played it conservatively again. He did add David Perron and Justin Faulk, but no major pieces were added to a roster that arguably punched above its weight early in the year.

NHL Insider Anthony DiMarco spoke of how the Red Wings and GM Yzerman were unwilling to move any major pieces to make a deal.

Anthony Di Marco: Speaking with one executive whose team had trade discussions with Yzerman...the Red Wings were not willing to move any of their top prospects...Nate Danielson and goaltenders Sebastian Cossa and Trey Augustine in any prospective trade - Daily Faceoff (3/20)
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) March 24, 2026