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Yzerman: Don't Expect Buyouts Or Offer Sheets From Him |
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If you’ve been of the opinion - or perhaps harbored the fervent hope - that Justin Abdelkader, Jonathan Ericsson or Darren Helm’s days as a Detroit Red Wing might be numbered, Wings general manager Steve Yzerman is here to burst your bubble.
That trio figured to be the most likely Wings to be candidates during the NHL’s contract buyout window. Yzerman, though, indicated that buying any player out wasn’t going to be part of his approach this offseason.
“Today, I would say likely not,” Yzerman said of potential buyouts.
The Wings’ new GM was also dubious that all these rumblings with NHL circles about offer sheets being handed out this summer were also mostly the by-product of hype and hope.
“Honestly, I really don’t know,” Yzerman said about offer sheets. “I don’t know what other teams are thinking. There’s a lot of talk within the media, I really have no idea.”
If offer sheets are presented to restricted free agents, Yzerman strongly doubted that he’d be one of those GMs doing the presenting.
“The position that we’re in today, I wouldn’t say we definitely wouldn’t consider it, but it’s unlikely,” Yzerman said.
Holland Fan
Yzerman wasn’t caught off-guard by the departure from the organization of former Wings GM Ken Holland. Promoted to senior vice-president of hockey operations upon Yzerman’s hiring, Holland instead opted to accept the GM’s position with the Edmonton Oilers.
While considering the position, one of those Holland consulted with was Yzerman.
“As he was going through the process, I was having conversations with him,” Yzerman said. “He’s one of the people I’m closest with in the game, so we talk a lot. Going through the process, I understood what he was thinking.
“Ultimately when he did take the job in Edmonton I wasn’t surprised. Ken’s got a lot of energy, he’s got a lot of passion. He loves the job, so I wasn’t surprised that he elected to become a GM again.”
Though he wasn’t shocked by Holland’s choice, selfishly, Yzerman was nonetheless disappointed.
“I really wasn’t sure up until the day they announced it (that Holland was leaving),” Yzerman said. “He called me and told me he was taking the job. I really wasn’t sure what he was going to do. I wasn’t surprised that he did take it.
“I know it was a hard decision. He’s been in this organization a long time. Until he actually told me, for me it was kind of 50-50. I do know he had the passion to manage.
“I’m going to really miss him here. He was a valuable - he’s had a huge influence on my career, playing and post-playing career, and a great resource for me. So, I’m going to miss having him here.”
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