Steve Yzerman: 'More expectations' for Detroit Red Wings next season

Steve Yzerman has a busy time ahead, as he balances improving the Detroit Red Wings for the present and the future.

The latter will be addressed at the NHL draft, with Round 1 on Friday and Rounds 2-7 on Saturday at Sphere in Las Vegas. The Wings are set to pick at No. 15, then hold pick Nos. 47, 80, 126, 144, 176, 203 and 208. The last time the Wings had their first pick at No. 15, they chose Dylan Larkin, who made the team a year later and became a cornerstone of the rebuild.

Whoever the Wings pick first — Michael Brandsegg-Nygård could be an intriguing choice if he's available, as could Michael Hage and Cole Eiserman — isn't going to help the Wings for at least a year, maybe more. In the meantime, July 1 brings the start of NHL free agency, when Yzerman has a chance to strengthen the team via proven players. He knows that last year's thrilling playoff chase — the Wings were not eliminated until the final minutes of the last game — has repercussions for the season ahead.

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"I would agree, there is more expectations for our team next year," Yzerman said Friday.

In nearly the same breath, he urged patience.

"I’m going to stick to the plan and we are trying to build a team that is not just going to make the playoffs one year and maybe not the next year," Yzerman said. "We are going to continue to be disciplined — use whatever word you want, good or bad — we are going to stick with it. Our goal is to build a team that can be sustainable, be a playoff contender, and we will stick with that. In free agency, whether it is with our own free agents or others, we are going to be selective and try to address certain needs."

Yzerman has nearly $30 million in salary cap space, but about half of that is earmarked for restricted free agents Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond, both of whom are due lucrative new contracts — think eight-year deals, in the range of $9 million annually for Seider and $7.5 million for Raymond. Yzerman also retains hope that he can re-sign unrestricted free agents Patrick Kane, David Perron and defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, each of whom who had significant impact on the Wings, especially in their playoff chase. Forward Daniel Sprong is also a free agent. He, Kane and Perron accounted for 55 goals; Gostisbehere contributed 55 points, including a team-best 29 on the power play.

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Yzerman might not be able to re-sign everyone he covets, and it's also possible he'll instead try to make a splash if Steven Stamkos, Sam Reinhart or Jonathan Marchessault hit the market. Any one of those forwards projects to strengthen the Wings as they try to end a playoff drought that has grown to eight years.

As for the future, this is the first time since 2016 that the Wings haven't picked inside the top 10. As Larkin proves, a good player certainly can be culled at that spot, and Yzerman and his scouts are under pressure to make sure they get it right. This has been a tough rebuild — since their 25-season playoff streak ended in 2017, the Wings have picked no higher than fourth — and drafting players who can move the needle is vital.

"There’s less certainty the farther back in the draft you go," Yzerman said. "There’s less certainty as to who is going to be there. Maybe more options, maybe not, depending on how it plays out. I think we are still in that phase of taking the best prospect. Having said that, if you have two that are relatively equal, maybe we look at need. But ultimately, we will take what we feel is the best prospect."

With Simon Edvinsson (No. 6, 2021) and Albert Johansson (No. 60, 2019) joining next year's roster, and Axel Sandin Pellikka (No. 17, 2023) in the farm system, the Wings have pretty good depth among young defensemen. The last two years, Yzerman has used his first pick on centers — Nate Danielson at No. 9 last summer, and Marco Kasper at No. 8 in 2022.

"We definitely are taking that into consideration," Yzerman said regarding organizational depth. "I'm not going to sit here and tell you we are definitely not picking a defenseman in the first round, but potentially, whether it’s the first round or second round, maybe it’s time to address some other areas. We’re looking at that 15th pick, that’s still a pretty high pick. It’s important that we get a good player, it’s important that we get a player that plays for us in the NHL. We need that. It’s not as simple as we all think, or it's not as automatic as we all like to think it is.

"It’s important that we get a player. When you’re picking high, you want to make sure you’re getting a good prospect, regardless of the position."

Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings will have 'more expectations' next season