A couple weeks into the season, the Red Wings sit atop the Atlantic. Nipping at their heels are the Canadiens, a reminder of the team that caught -- and surpassed -- Detroit last season.
In a year where the Canadiens returned to the playoffs after three straight last-place finishes and the Senators qualified for the first time in eight years, the Red Wings missed for a franchise worst ninth season in a row.
Especially in regard to Montreal, which reached the Stanley Cup Final four years ago before bottoming out and starting over, you can make the argument that two of Detroit's division rivals have rebuilt their rosters more quickly than the Red Wings have under Yzerman -- who's in his seventh season as GM.
Asked if that's a fair criticism of the Wings' rebuild, Yzerman thought about it for a moment and said, "I’m not sure I would agree with that."
"Every situation is a little bit different. So, no, we’ve kind of tried to take that same approach as they have: you draft, you’re patient, you let your young guys develop. And they’re two teams that are benefiting from that drafting and developing well, and I think our time is coming," Yzerman said Wednesday on 97.1 The Ticket.
To be fair, Yzerman isn't trying to build a team that simply makes the playoffs -- a point he's made over and over. And neither the Canadiens nor Senators advanced last season once they got there. All three teams still occupy the same general place in the East, likely a year or two away from legitimate Cup contention.
Yzerman said Wednesday that he'll consider the Red Wings' rebuild over "when we're a consistent playoff team. Or maybe more broadly, when we’re trading future assets, potentially, for players that are going to help us immediately, older guys. Maybe that’s when, but I’d like to think you’re done rebuilding when you’re talking about playoffs and advancing in the playoffs."
But qualifying is a necessary step toward contending. The Senators finished 11 points ahead of the Red Wings last season, led by homegrown stars like Brady Tkachuk (fourth overall, 2018), Tim Stutzle (third overall, 2020) and Jake Sanderson (fifth overall, 2020) and sparked at the deadline by a trade with the Sabres for young center Dylan Cozens. They went 15-5-2 down the stretch.
The Canadiens finished five points ahead of the Red Wings, albeit with an almost identical goal differential of minus-20, led by captain Nick Suzuki (13th overall, 2017) and rising stars like Cole Caufield (15th overall, 2019), Lane Hutson (second round, 2022) and Juraj Slafkovsky (first overall, 2022). They went 15-5-6 after the 4 Nations break.
The Red Wings after the break went 11-13-5, and 2-6 on the season against Montreal and Ottawa. They finished with 86 points, the first time under Yzerman that they regressed from the year prior. Yzerman is not on the hot seat with ownership. But the Red Wings' third straight collapse in March, followed by another offseason of marginal upgrades, has subjected him to increasing criticism from the same fans who revered him as a player.
Yzerman gets it.
"I’m not the least bit surprised, I don’t have issue with it," he said. "Rebuilding is a challenge. And I knew this was going to be a challenge when I accepted the position. I’m confident in the process, I’m excited about where our team is going, the players we have in the system and the prospects we have coming.
"Being the general manager of any professional sports team is challenging. You have to expect criticism, expect to be second-guessed, and I don’t have an issue with it. That comes with the job. We’ll continue to stick with our process, and I believe we’re getting there. And our fans will be rewarded for their patience and their support hopefully sooner than later, obviously."
It's only October, but they've been treated to a five-game winning streak after the Wings dropped their season-opener. The team's hot start has been fueled by captain Dylan Larkin, who has 11 points in six games and was just named the NHL's first star of the week. The roster, which featured nine of Yzerman's draft picks and six of his first-rounders on Opening Night, has also received a jolt from rookies Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Emmitt Finnie and Michael Brandsegg-Nygård.
"The new faces, they’re skilled and they’re fast, and actually all three of them are pretty strong, although Axel is not considered big for a D-man," Yzerman said. "They’re smart hockey players and inject that speed and skill into the lineup. One player (like that) can have an impact, and I think all three of them, they’ve scored a little bit, but I think they’ve played very well and created opportunities for us. Again, I like the skill and the speed that they play with."
The Red Wings' first big test looms. After opening with five of six at home, seven of their next eight games come on the road, starting Wednesday night in Buffalo. Yzerman said that it "will give us a little more indication of where we're at, where we need to improve, or what our strengths are," especially without the benefit of the last line change on home ice.
"Now you don’t have the matchups on line changes and the home team can put their top guys out and see if they can get an advantage. It’s important for our guys to respond," Yzerman said. "But honestly, I don’t think we've played great. I think we can play better, I’m expecting us to get better, but I certainly like the 5-1 start."
The Red Wings had an identical start two years ago, with an even more impressive goal differential through six games. They started 7-3-2 the year before that. Neither season left them satisfied. The question isn't so much whether they can sustain their current pace, but if they can weather the storms that come their way.
"If we made the playoffs," said Yzerman, "I’d certainly say that’s progress for us, yes."