“Leadership Transition”: Steve Yzerman out as Red Wings executive vice president and general manager

The “Yzerplan” is officially over.

Detroit Red Wings Owner Chris Ilitch has decided to move in a different direction and is transitioning Steve Yzerman away from the role of executive vice president and general manager with the organization.

Basically, it’s treated as a “soft firing” with Yzerman taking over a new role with the organization as the senior advisor to Governor and CEO, Chris Ilitch.

After a successful tenure as the general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning from 2010-19, the last season serving as a senior advisor, Yzerman returned to Detroit as the new general manager following the 2018-19 season but has been unable to return the Red Wings to same type the success that they had when he was a player.

In Yzerman’s seasons in the front office, the Red Wings were unable to reach the playoffs as their franchise record playoff drought has now reached a decade with the last few seasons featuring March collapses on the ice as the team drastically fell out of playoff contention in the final weeks of the regular season.

So, the Red Wings have a lot to currently sort through as the organization currently deals with Dylan Larkin trade request, needing to re-sign restricted free agent Simon Edvinsson, and Alex DeBrincat coming up on the last year of his current contract.