Detroit Red Wings 'have full trust' in Steve Yzerman as NHL trade deadline looms
DENVER — Even for Detroit Red Wings personnel not bandied about in rumors, the week of the NHL trade deadline can be a stressful time.
"I got off of social media about a year ago, when I started to get, you're the worst coach I've ever seen in the history of earth DMs," coach Derek Lalonde said Wednesday, approximately 48 hours before Friday's 3 p.m. deadline. "This is the one time I wish I was on it, because you kind of get the inside scoops and everything."
The Wings (33-22-6 entering Wednesday's game at the Colorado Avalanche) are inside the Eastern Conference playoff picture, putting general manager Steve Yzerman in position to stand pat or be a buyer.
"We have full trust in Steve," Lalonde said. "It was a similar situation when I was in Tampa. I think it is real when you have a trust in what your manager is doing. I sleep a lot easier at night knowing he is going to do what is best for the organization currently and in the future, too."
IN GOOD SHAPE: Why Steve Yzerman in enviable position at NHL trade deadline
It's the first time since Yzerman was named GM in 2019 that he hasn't been an obvious seller. One of the guys inside the locker room who has been most vocal about the need to make it hard to Yzerman to disrupt the chemistry is veteran David Perron.
"He is an emotional leader, he is so valuable," Lalonde said. "It is one of those things, you probably can't quantify what he brings to our room. He's tough to manage sometimes, but you certainly want that, when you can reel him back in.
"He has not let this team settle for not being good enough in a lot situations. He's a very, very important piece of what we are trying to do here."
It was Perron who, back at the start of January, predicted the Wings would get 18 points before the All-Star break (they got 20).
"You have to manifest what you want a little bit," Perron said. "I feel like it makes you aware and urgent in every action and everything you do so that you make it happen, basically. You are trying to make it a winning culture, winning habit, that it is normal to win and normal to be fighting for a playoff spot. I think that has been the exciting part for our season.
"We are playing to be in a good situation and we have done that. I actually think even through some of our winning recently, we haven't played perfectly, and that's usually a good sign. You have to be able to win games where you don't play perfectly, but you also have to recognize that and find a way to be better, and we have kind of hit that part now."
NHL TRADE DEADLINE: Will the Wings be buyers, who's on the market and more
Dylan Larkin makes trip
Dylan Larkin (lower body) is sidelined for what Lalonde said was a "minimum" of two weeks, but he still joined the Wings on the trip, which continues Friday at the Arizona Coyotes, Saturday at the Vegas Golden Knights, followed by a day off Sunday, practice Monday in Las Vegas, and then flying directly to Buffalo to play there Tuesday.
"I think he wants to be a part of the emotional part of what we are trying to accomplish here," Lalonde said. "Being around the team, he's here for the rehab and rest, so it just made sense."
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her @helenestjames.
Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.
Next up: Coyotes
Matchup: Red Wings (33-22-6 entering Wednesday) at Arizona (25-32-5).
Faceoff: 9 p.m. Friday; Mullett Arena, Tempe, Arizona.
TV/radio: BSD; WXYT-FM (97.1).
More online: Wednesday's game at Colorado ended after this edition went to print. Visit freep.com/sports for the game result.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings: 'Full trust' in Steve Yzerman as trade deadline looms
