Carpe Diem: Time To Bring The Captain Home To Detroit
By Tom Millikan
Barring a miracle, the Red Wings will once again go down in the first round of the playoffs. They haven't been to the conference finals since 2009. Interest in the franchise is waning. The 25-year playoff streak matters little. It's a celebration of mediocrity. It's becoming embarrassing. The Wings are a shell of what they were. It's time for change. It's time to seize the day.
Tampa Bay Lightning General Manager and Red Wings legend Steve Yzerman has been bred to run the Red Wings. He was a legend on the ice and he is becoming one off the ice. He's won two gold medals running Team Canada and he built a Stanley Cup finalist in Tampa Bay. He's built the Lightning with skill, size and Canadian grit -- things the Wings lack.
Red Wings General Manager Ken Holland has done a hell of a job building a modern-day dynasty. This isn't a shot at him, but his decisions over the past few years are certainly head scratching. Extending Johan Franzen, extending Jonathon Ericsson, extending Jimmy Howard, trading for David Legwand -- all bad decisions that are hemorrhaging the Wings' future.
It's time to wipe the slate clean. Bring the Captain home. Hire Steve Yzerman to rebuild the Wings as they head into a new arena and a new era. He was born to do this job. It's much like John Elway with the Denver Broncos. He was a champion as a player and now he is a champion as an executive. I believe that's Steve Yzerman's destiny with the Red Wings.
I equate this much to the Michigan situation in 2011. I said it at the time: Hire Jim Harbaugh. That was the right move then, but Michigan and Dave Brandon had to do it their way instead of the right way. The right way for the Wings now is to hire Yzerman now, not later. He's under contract in Tampa, but I'd give up draft picks to get him.
He is destined for greatness. Get him now, or you may not get him later.
The time is now. Seize the Day. Carpe Diem!