If you are a Detroit hockey fan, it’s likely you trust Steve Yzerman the three-time Stanley Cup winning Hall of Fame Red Wings player.
Fans of Tampa Bay trust general manager Yzerman to build an organization that wins multiple Stanley Cups. Making the decisions for Detroit the last five years, Yzerman made his first splash with a trade for wing Alex DeBrincat from Ottawa.
DeBrincat twice scored 41 goals in a season for Chicago, playing with Patrick Kane. He had 27 goals and 39 assists without missing a game for the Senators last season.
Infusing the roster with a scorer can boost the impact of role players. Yzerman might have had that in mind when he added JT Compher, Daniel Sprong and Christian Fischer via free agency before acquiring DeBrincat.
Yzerman needed offense and now what didn’t look like enough seems like much more. Someone is likely to find a little more space to operate because more on the ice are capable of making plays and opponents must choose who to prioritize.
The cost for DeBrincat, 25, was more than reasonable for Detroit. Dominik Kubalik heads to Ottawa, along with a defenseman who hasn’t reached the NHL, a first round pick and another in the fourth round next season.
Detroit still owns the better of the two picks with Boston, which came for Tyler Bertuzzi at the trade deadline last season. The Senators get the other.
Even DeBrincat’s contract is team friendly. He didn’t insist on the lengthy deal so commonplace for several years, opting for four years at $7.9 million per season.
Only Dylan Larkin makes more on the roster.
DeBrincat also changes the depth equation with last year’s acquisitions. David Perron was a valuable addition, along with defensemen Ben Chiarot and Olli Maatta.
Not much was expected of Jake Walman, who was called up, soon joined Moritz Seider in the first blue line pair and is likely to stay there for years.
Andrew Copp struggled to find his footing generating goals after returning from an injury. He was the big add last year and a candidate to jump in production.
Yzerman traded for goaltender Ville Husso the day the draft started before last season. He took most of the workload but seemed to fatigue and was injured late in the season.
It was his first year occupying the No. 1 spot, so he might be able to better maintain consistency from start to finish. Yzerman signed James Reimer and Alex Lyon as backup and almost certain to be utilized, respectively, this year.
The Alex Chiassons and Pius Suters can be used against suitable matchups, rather than finding themselves on the top lines like the last few seasons.
Eleven of DeBrincat’s goals came on the power play last season. Detroit’s offense was inept in all phases last season, so he and free agent defenseman add Shayne Gostisbehere change the complexion with opponents in the penalty box as well.
Klim Kostin was seemingly acquired from Edmonton via trade to help on the penalty kill. He’s a physical presence with a bit of offensive punch.
He won’t score like Bertuzzi, who signed a one-year deal with Toronto. He will be able to protect Larkin and Lucas Raymond without having to worry about being one of the main goal scorers.
Defenseman Simon Edvinsson, Jonatan Berggren, Marco Kasper and Elmer Soderblom have tasted the NHL and might be ready for expanded roles. Yzerman hasn’t given up on Joe Veleno, and Robby Fabbri and Michael Rasmussen remain in the mix after injuries helped derail last season.
Yzerman helped start a Red Wings stretch of 25 straight postseason appearances from 1990-1991 to 2015-2016. He was an executive as Detroit won a fourth Stanley Cup during the span in 2008.
Ken Holland waited too long to start the rebuild and Yzerman was left with bare cupboards.
The Red Wings were tied for the second playoff wild card in the Eastern Conference on February 25 last season. They were shut out by Tampa Bay and lost twice to DeBrincat’s Senators in demoralizing fashion.
Detroit suffered after trading defenseman Filip Hronek, Jakub Vrana and Bertuzzi. It missed the playoffs the last seven seasons.
DeBrincat’s arrival can only mean Yzerman thinks Detroit is ready for a player with a paycheck to help it win. It’s the type of step you take with the postseason in mind.
Finally, the Yzer Plan includes such a venture. There are no guarantees the team wins more games.
Fans hope Yzerman knows who to trust to make it happen in Detroit again.
mhorn@gannett.com
419-307-4892
Twitter: @MatthewHornNH