Barry Melrose Expects 'Quick' Turnaround For Red Wings Under Yzerman

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For the Red Wings, step one is complete. Steve Yzerman is returning to take over as general manager. 

Now, for steps two, three and four...

Yzerman arrives with a big challenge in front of him, easily the biggest of his career as a front office exec. He's tasked with taking a team that's fallen on hard times back to where it belongs, in the thick of Stanley Cup contention.

It won't happen overnight. It probably won't happen next season. 

But it's not that far off in the future, as far as Barry Melrose is concerned. With a solid core of young players at Yzerman's disposal, thanks in part to his predecessor Ken Holland, Melrose believes the Red Wings can reestablish themselves as Cup contenders "pretty quickly."

He discussed Yzerman's return to Detroit on the Karsch and Anderson Show on 97.1 The Ticket. 

"Kenny has stockpiled the cupboard, and they need to continue to draft well, they need to sign some free agents. With that new building in Detroit, Stevie back, I think that’ll happen pretty quickly," Melrose said. "People will want to come back to Detroit again. It was once the Mecca of free agents. I think that changed quite a bit the last few years when they stopped making the playoffs. I think that can be turned around very quickly by Stevie.

"I expect it to be quick. He’s got some good young players, especially forwards. They have to find some young defensemen. I'm sure that’s what they’ll be spending their draft picks on, and like I said, maybe pluck a couple of those prime free agents to help things along." 

In eight seasons with the Lightning, Yzerman earned a reputation as one of the best GMs in the league. He built Tampa into a perennial juggernaut with smart draft picks, savvy trades and shrewd negotiations in free agency. 

Asked what stands out about Yzerman's first stint as a GM, Melrose pointed to the way he manipulated the salary cap. 

"When people saw Tampa with (Victor) Hedman unsigned, (Steven) Stamkos unsigned, the two superstars, they thought he was going to have to give them the house and that would really tie his hands as far as the rest of the salary cap was concerned," said Melrose. "He really went out and got Steven and Hedman at rock-bottom prices, and because of that he was able to make trades (to improve the rest of his roster).

"I think his use of the salary cap has been excellent. If you don’t do that in today’s NHL, he’s in trouble. Stevie proved that he’s a smart guy and can run a good salary cap, or higher a guy that can run it for him with Stevie's supervision." 

[RELATED: Ken Holland Reportedly 'Architect' Of Yzerman's Return To Red Wings>

Other highlights from Melrose's interview on 97.1 The Ticket:

On his initial reaction to the news: "I think everyone thought that Stevie would eventually take over the Red Wings. The only thing was Kenny is still a very young man, only 63 years old, still very much in good health and sharp. I'm sure Kenny will have a job anywhere he wants if he wants to go to another organization, or if he wants to remain with the Red Wings I’m sure whatever he wants will be taken care of.

"But Stevie did a great job in Tampa. If that’s what the (Red Wings) were waiting for, why they didn’t give him the job earlier, I think they were testing him. And he went to Tampa and he turned that into an elite organization. Drafted well and made shrewd deals and managed the salary cap very well. All of the things that you have to do in today's NHL, he did and he did great. I think the Red Wings and their fans are getting a guy who’s proven that he’s one of the best in the NHL at being a general manager."

On the possibility of a downside to the move: "I guess the only downside would be if Kenny didn’t want to go and they forced him out. But I never heard that anywhere in my travels, that Kenny wasn’t all for this. I think Mr. Ilitch always took care of the Red Wings, the guys that played with for a long period of time. He was a very loyal owner and thus he had loyal people. Kenny has been there for a long time, the scouting staff has been with the organization for a long, long time, and now to bring home one of the favorite sons, I think everybody is in favor of it. The fans, front office and anyone associated with the Red Wings would be in favor of Stevie coming back home. It’s really a can’t-lose situation for everybody. 
On what drew Yzerman to the job: "I think that loyalty to the Ilitch family. They’ve been such a good ownership group. I think that’s why it was hard for him to leave Tampa, because Mr. Vink has been such a great owner in Tampa. But again, his family is in Detroit now, they made Detroit their home, his kids have their home there. I think it was hard for Stevie to commute, I don’t think he wanted to commute anymore.

"And I think the fact that he was with an organization for close to 20 years, or more, and wanted to turn this thing around. I think the fact that it had fallen on hard times and is not the Detroit Red Wings of old maybe motivated Stevie to come back to Detroit and turn this thing around."