The Daily: Red Wings Must Pick Up Pace in Managment Hire; Forslund on Top Line

The post The Daily: Red Wings Must Pick Up Pace in Managment Hire; Forslund on Top Line appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Each day that passes with no decision about Steve Yzerman’s replacement probably increases the odds Dylan Larkin will have to show up at Detroit Red Wings’ training camp.

Tomorrow marks one month since Steve Yzerman tenure was over as GM. Monday marks one month to go until the start of Detroit’s camp at Little Caesars Arena.

There is no indication that the organization is close to naming a replacement. That will be problematic for the person who eventually lands the job.

First and foremost, the Red Wings must get the hire right, but they also need to move as quickly as they can in this Detroit vetting process. The new boss will need time to explore Larkin options, including whether he might want to stay.

For those who believe the new hire will accept some draft picks and prospects from Minnesota for Larkin and move on, that is unlikely to happen. When you talk to people around the NHL, no one believes Yzerman was wrong for demanding a proven player or players in a Larkin swap. A weak scoring team cannot give up a proven 30-goal scorer for spins at the roulette wheel.

Everyone in the NHL understands that unless you are picking in the Top 15, draft picks are raffle tickets. Even in the first round, there’s roughly a 30% chance a team won’t land a player who will make it.

If Larkin hasn’t changed his mind, and won’t add to his list of acceptable destinations, Detroit’s best opportunity to get an acceptable return might be to involve a third team, a team that perhaps has a high-salaried veteran it would like to move for cap relief. Detroit could then accept futures from Minnesota and move them for a veteran.

But that kind of deal requires time to sort through the possibilities. The new hire will be under the gun as far as time is concerned. He also needs to re-sign Simon Edvinsson, consider a non-Dylan Larkin move to increase scoring, get on the same page with coach Todd McLellan, consider major staff changes and call Alex DeBrincat and tell him to expect the Brinks truck to show up at his house as soon as he can make it happen.

Shawn Horcoff is in charge on the interim basis, but Expressen reports that Edvinsson’s agent is waiting for the new hire before continuing contract talks. Horcoff cannot make trades, which means all Larkin talks have stopped.

The Red Wings need to pick up the pace on the hiring process. They have to give the new director of hockey operations time to make an impact for this season. They owe that to the fans who have watched this team miss the playoffs for a decade.

In Case You Missed It

Max Smith writes that the law firm handling the Red Wings search for Steve Yzerman’s replacement has a strong reputation.

If or when Dylan Larkin is moved, what will the Red Wings’ leadership group look like?

Prospect forward Carter Bear is ready for test with the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Red Wings Extra

Could Detroit prospect Charlie Forslund (176th, 2024) be turning a corner in his development? He will play for Brynas in the Swedish Hockey League this season. He’s a 6-foot-3, 212-pound wing. This will be his first season playing in Sweden’s top league. He played in Sweden’s Tier II league season.

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The post The Daily: Red Wings Must Pick Up Pace in Managment Hire; Forslund on Top Line appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.