Toronto Maple Leafs fans can very much sympathize with the mess the Detroit Red Wings are going through at the moment.
The front-office mayhem Detroit is going through at the moment is not dissimilar from the one the Leafs went through earlier this season.
On Wednesday, the Red Wings announced the “transition” of Steve Yzerman from the GM and VP of hockey operations role to a consultant position within the organization. That’s business-speak for “we’re firing you, but not really.”
The rationale behind the move likely boiled down to the ongoing Dylan Larkin mess. One of the reasons Larkin asked for a trade out of Detroit was his relationship with Yzerman. While it wasn’t the only factor, it was one that weighed heavily on the situation.
Be that as it may, the Red Wings will now embark on a search for someone to take over the GM role. The problem is the timing. The Maple Leafs actually did the right thing, firing Brad Treliving when they did.
By firing Treliving with a couple of weeks left in the regular season, the club was able to calmly look for its next GM. The search didn’t last nearly as long as the coaching one did. But so far, it seems that hiring John Chayka has been a good move.
That might not quite be the case for the Red Wings. Detroit will now need to scramble to find Yzerman’s replacement. The time that it takes will add to the time already wasted in trying to trade Larkin.
Of course, the Larkin situation isn’t the only thing on the Red Wings’ docket. The club still has other positions to round out in the roster, plus figuring out what to do about other needs for the team.
For Maple Leafs fans, seeing a division rival in a bit of disarray has to be comforting to a certain extent. The turmoil now unleashed in Detroit could lead to a tough start for the team next season. That’s something that would certainly benefit the Leafs as they look to get back into the Atlantic Division playoff race.
It’s too bad for the Red Wings that things got to this point for them. But for Maple Leafs fans, it’s a good example to highlight just how surprisingly well the organization handled the transition in the front office and behind the bench this offseason.
The only thing that remains to be seen is if the moves conducted this summer will translate into a winning record this upcoming season.
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