Buffalo Sabres division rivals’ 2023 offseasons Part VI: Yzerplan Take 5
By Sion Fawkes
The Buffalo Sabres and their Adams Plan swept the Detroit Red Wings and their Yzerplan in 2022-23. Did Steve Yzerman finally improve the team in 2023-24?
I’ve long since said that you can’t treat building an NHL team as though you’re playing franchise mode in a video game, but Steve Yzerman once again seems to be doing just that with the Detroit Red Wings. While Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams has taken the preferred route in building through young players and prospects, Yzerman just keeps pulling off trades and hoping chemistry builds amidst what should be a talented lineup.
Last year, it didn’t work out so well, as the Sabres swept Detroit despite the two teams playing in a pair of memorable matchups in the Motor City. So, has Yzerman finally built a winner that can contend with the Sabres for a playoff spot in 2023-24, or will lack of chemistry with his seemingly endless array of blockbuster moves once again set the Wings back?
So who was the big blockbuster this season? None other than Alex DeBrincat, who Yzerman acquired in a trade with the Ottawa Senators. While we can call it a blockbuster, you get the sense that the Sens wouldn’t have traded DeBrincat to a rival if they were that worried about facing him three to four times per year.
Will the Yzerplan finally get the best of the Buffalo Sabres and the Adams Plan?
Yzerman also added J.T. Compher, meaning that, with the current roster in place, the Red Wings look like a good team on paper. Other notable additions include Alex Lyon, James Reimer, Shayne Gostisbehere, Justin Holl, Klim Kostin, Daniel Sprong, and Christian Fischer.
So as you can see, Yzerman was quite busy filling a few more gaps to try and push the Wings back into the playoffs. He only lost three notable players, one of whom was former Sabre Robert Hagg. He also lost Dominik Kubalik in the DeBrincat trade, and Filip Zadina also went elsewhere.
How will Yzerman’s latest batch of acquisitions and signees help the Red Wings? Keep reading for a brief breakdown of each, starting with DeBrincat.