The NHL still has an old-school soul, but you are going to hear names you may not recognize in connection with the Detroit Red Wings search for Steve Yzerman’s replacement.
Tyler Dellow (Carolina). Sam Ventura (Buffalo). Darren Yorke (Carolina). Brett Peterson (Florida). Those are only some of the assistant general managers known for being strong on analytics or running a quality analytics department. That’s important because Detroit Free Press sportswriter Helen St. James reports the Red Wings are looking at hiring someone with an analytics reputation as a possible director of hockey operations. According to St. James’ report, the Red Wings have hired an outside company to screen candidates.
It’s unclear whether the Red Wings have decided on a single hire or a two-person leadership tandem like the Detroit Tigers have with President of Hockey Operations Scott Harris above general manager Jeff Greenberg. The Tigers seem to have an exceptional analytics structure.
Greenberg came to the Tigers after serving as associate general manager for the Chicago Blackhawks. One theory around the league is Greenberg might end up with some role in the revamped Red Wings management.
The NHL is not as analytics-driven as major league baseball, but analytics has had an increasing role in hockey. Coaches use analytics in determining line combinations and defensive pairings. Analytics are used in assessing trade possibilities. More data is always good. But the intangibles remain important in the NHL; building team culture, leadership, and chemistry remain important to the winning process. Analytics help less in those areas. That’s why the Red Wings may hire an old-school person combined with an analytics-savvy executive.
In Case You Missed It
What will the Red Wings goaltending depth chart look like in October? Max Smith weighs in.
Moritz Seider is judged to be the NHL’s top defensive defenseman. No surprise in Detroit.
Former Red Wings player has failing business venture
Red Wings Extra
Tickets for the Grand Rapids Griffins’ preseason games against the Cleveland Monsters (Sept. 26 and 27) at the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio, are on sale now at toledowalleye.com. These are the first Griffins preseason games since 2016. It will give many Detroit fans a chance to see prospects such as Trey Augustine, Michal Postava, Carter Bear and Anton Johansson live less than an hour from Detroit. The Saturday, Sept. 26 game is at 1 p.m., and Sunday’s game is at 3 p.m. The Griffins last played a preseason game at Huntington Center in 2012.
Hockey Now Digest
Boston: Looking ahead to what contract issues the Bruins will have in 2027. Boston Bruins.
Florida: Some of the new Panthers are past Panthers. They are looking for a chance to win a Stanley Cup. Florida Panthers
New Jersey: Hey, it’s a reporter in New Jersey with the latest on Quinn Hughes, including what it would cost the Devils to trade for him. With Dylan Larkin wanting out, the ship has likely sailed on Detroit’s chances of ending up with Hughes. But with a new director of hockey operations coming aboard, the Hughes situation is worth monitoring.
Philadelphia: William James offers the latest Flyers trade rumors. Philadelphia Flyers.
Pittsburgh: It’s difficult to explain the contract the Penguins gave to forward Ville Koivunen. Pittsburgh Penguins.
Related Topics: Detroit Hockey NowDetroit Red WingsGM SearchSteve Yzerman
