Steve Yzerman explains why it isn't 'playoffs or bust' for Detroit Red Wings in 2023-24

Steve Yzerman enters his fifth season in charge of the Detroit Red Wings having assembled a group of players that project to stir excitement when training camp begins this week.

"We had some spots on the roster to fill and we were able to do that free agency, so it’s a bit of a new group, particularly on the blue line," Yzerman said Tuesday. "So, some new faces, some younger players that are maybe pushing for a spot on the roster. What stands out is, it’s going to be interesting to see how the new faces come together."

Yzerman this offseason added defensemen Shayne Gostisbehere, Jeff Petry and Justin Holl; forwards Alex DeBrincat, J.T. Compher, Klim Kostin, Daniel Sprong and Christian Fischer, and goaltender James Reimer. Those newcomers add depth to a core Yzerman steadily has grown since taking the general manager role in 2019, and a further push is coming from multiple prospects.

It's enough to warrant chatter that a seven-year playoff drought may come to an end — though Yzerman steadfastly and wisely continues to not want to put a timeline on that.

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"We’d be thrilled to make the playoffs," he said. "Is it playoffs or bust? When you say playoffs or bust, I guess you’re prepared to trade all your draft picks and whatever you have to do at some point. So no, it’s not playoffs or bust. But we are going to try to win every game and we’re going to try to make the playoffs, but it’s not at the expense of the future. I’m trying to build a nucleus of a team that can make the playoffs on an annual basis. You squeak in one year and you don’t have the foundation to sustain it, we’re going to be sitting here two years from now and wondering again.

"We’d love to make the playoffs, and we’ll give it a shot. We did what we could in the offseason to improve our team, without mortgaging any part of the future. Hopefully sooner than later, we’re a playoff team."

Yzerman has done what he could; now it's on the players and coaching staff. Camp in Traverse City runs Thursday through Monday, and an eight-game exhibition slate begins Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Little Caesars Arena.

If health holds up — Yzerman said the one player who won't be ready for the start of camp is prospect Carter Mazur (leg injury) — then potentially one NHL veteran both on defense and up front won't make the lineup when the Wings begin the season Oct. 12 at the New Jersey Devils.

Beyond that, there could be a push from Elmer Söderblom and Simon Edvinsson, two draftees who both already have played in NHL games. Adding eight NHL veteran skaters in the offseason doesn't preclude a prospect from coming in and earning a spot, like Lucas Raymond did in 2021.

"I think first and foremost, you need a roster of 22-23 players, and my feeling is that I’d rather go to the free agent market instead of hoping or forcing any of our young guys in," Yzerman said. "So really, filling our roster over the last couple years with free agents is to be patient and allow these younger players to develop and play at a reasonable pace, instead of just throwing them into the NHL and hoping they’re OK and hoping we’re going to win games that way. When we are 100% certain they should be in the NHL and help us win games, they’ll be in the NHL. But until then, they have to earn it and they have to be ready, in our judgment."

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 book, The Big 50: The Detroit Red Wings is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail. 

For (preseason) openers: Penguins

Matchup: Red Wings (35-37-10 in 2022-23) vs. Pittsburgh (40-31-11 in 2022-23), exhibition opener.

Faceoff: 7 p.m. Tuesday; Little Caesars Arena, Detroit.

TV/radio: None.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Steve Yzerman: It isn't 'playoffs or bust' for Detroit Red Wings