Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman had a busy start to July: He hired a new head coach, acquired a goaltender, and signed three forwards and three defensemen in free agency.
It’s as aggressive as Yzerman has been since being named GM of the Wings in April 2019, and a sign that the team is emerging from the rebuild. Compared to the shell of a team they were just two years ago, when they went 17-49-5, the 2022-23 Wings pulse with optimism.
But looking good mid-summer is one thing; another is whether the Wings can make it past the regular season and into the playoffs for what would be the first time since 2016.