In 2019, Steve Yzerman made his return to Detroit after spending eight seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning as their General Manager. In his time in Tampa, Yzerman rebuilt the Lightning into a playoff and Stanley Cup contender, ending up making a Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 2015 and eventually winning back-to-back cups in 2020 and 2021. Although Yzerman had already returned to the Detroit Red Wings when Tampa won their cups, his fingerprints were all over the roster that was in place at the time.
So when “The Captain” returned to Detroit, the expectation was that he would be the immediate savior of the organization he helped bring three Stanley Cups to as a player and return them to their glory days.