Mostly quiet at 2024 NHL Trade Deadline, Red Wings’ chemistry and organizational depth encourages Yzerman

TEMPE, Ariz. -- After a relatively quiet 2024 NHL Trade Deadline for the Detroit Red Wings, Executive Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman expressed confidence in the club’s current roster and belief that key reinforcements will come from within the organization heading into the final stretch of the 2023-24 regular season.

Detroit’s lone trade before Friday’s 3 p.m. ET deadline passed was acquiring defenseman Radim Simek, who was immediately loaned to the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins, from the San Jose Sharks and a seventh-round pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Klim Kostin.

“Ultimately, I’d like to think part of why we weren’t very active this year at the deadline is that we like the depth we have within the organization,” Yzerman said in a post-trade deadline Zoom call with the media on Friday afternoon. “We have some good players in Grand Rapids. So here, sitting at the deadline, looking at some of the areas we felt maybe could help us, ultimately giving up a first, second or third-round pick for depth, we’re better off bringing up our guys from Grand Rapids for that.”

Yzerman described the trade market as an arms race, noting several playoff-contending clubs were attempting to add at the deadline. He said he tried acquiring a depth forward, but a deal never panned out.

“I have to get caught up with everything that’s gone down,” Yzerman said. “But you take note of some teams at the top (of the standings) that were very aggressive, it looks like a real arms race. Our deadline is almost starting to look like Canadian Junior Hockey’s deadline, where you have four or five clubs at the top just throwing everything and getting everybody, and the rest of the league kind of standing pat.”

Since taking over the Red Wings in 2019, Yzerman has explored all possibilities of improving the team. But he wasn’t comfortable swapping draft capital or talented prospects for rental players at this year’s deadline.

“Whoever is coming in, somebody has to come out of the lineup whether they’re going out and getting traded or they’re a healthy scratch,” Yzerman said. “That affects the locker room. But ultimately, we’re trying to improve the team, and at what cost? The things we were looking at, or thought we could do, to give up first-round or second-round picks and what we consider good prospects for guys that aren’t really filling holes, they’re going to replace the same player who is going to sit in the stands for them.”

Trading Kostin, who signed a two-year contract with Detroit after being acquired from the Edmonton Oilers this offseason, left Yzerman with mixed emotions. In 33 games for the Red Wings this season, Kostin had three goals and one assist.

“Physical, but has some ability too,” Yzerman said about Kostin. “Just for whatever reason, it didn’t work here. He’s a young player who wants an opportunity to play and just wasn’t getting that. It’s best for the player and for us. In particular, we couldn’t afford to have a $2 million-dollar forward not in the lineup next year. We were able to move him, give him an opportunity and change the dynamic of our forward group.”

The Red Wings will dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen Friday night against the Arizona Coyotes at Mullett Arena, but Yzerman said he expects at least one player will be recalled from Grand Rapids soon.

Entering Friday, the Red Wings and Tampa Bay Lightning were tied for the Eastern Conference’s first wild card spot with 72 points apiece. Yzerman said he’s been pleased with the progress Detroit has shown in head coach Derek Lalonde’s second season behind the bench.

“The atmosphere within the team, at least its my understanding and impression from as close as I can get into the locker room, is we have very good team spirit and there’s a lot of enthusiasm,” Yzerman said. “You hear the players talk about how much they enjoy playing together, so that’s encouraging, and they have gotten us into a good spot here now. We have a real good race, which is going to be good for our team down the stretch and hopefully it works out that we finish the regular season in a playoff spot.”