The Detroit Red Wings are set to undergo major changes ahead of the 2026-27 NHL season. Not necessarily because Dylan Larkin could be traded at any moment, but because his trade request has sent the organization down an introspective path, with a new voice set to take over the front office.
Although the Red Wings have put Larkin’s trade on hold, reports state that Shawn Horcoff is serving as the interim general manager and is in charge of day-to-day operations. However, the organization is searching for a permanent solution. Because the Red Wings are set to face fierce competition for Steve Yzerman’s replacement and have no margin for error, they are seeking outside help.
According to a report from Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, Red Wings owner Chris Ilitch has hired a search firm to help identify Steve Yzerman’s successor as general manager. After ownership recently set a bad precedent, Detroit is determined to get its next hire right. Moreover, the Winged Wheel is reportedly considering a major shift, favoring an approach more aligned with how the rest of the NHL operates.
Red Wings are steering towards analytics
“Ilitch, and by extension the search firm, is believed to be looking for an analytics-driven person to take charge of the Wings,” St. James added to her report on the Red Wings’ search for a new general manager.
Steve Yzerman of the Detroit Red Wings.
It would be quite a new venture for Detroit. The Red Wings had long viewed analytics—and, by extension, analytics-driven personnel—as playing a secondary advisory role. Clearly, they are now realizing that approach has yielded little success and are ready to make changes.
It may take a while before they see results, but it seems Larkin’s trade request raised the alarm. For better or worse, Detroit’s brass took notice and appears ready to respond.
Goodbye to the Yzerman Era
Yzerman served as general manager from April 2019 to July 2026. Surprisingly, he was in charge during the NHL Draft, only to step down weeks later. The “Yzerplan” failed to produce a single Stanley Cup Playoff appearance.
Perhaps an analytics-based approach to running hockey operations in Motor City will prove to be the difference-maker. Looking at the NHL’s most successful organizations, it’s clear analytics play a much bigger role in decision-making than merely serving in an advisory capacity.
Considering the Red Wings are an Original Six franchise with the utmost respect for tradition, it’s easy to see why many may have resisted change over the years. However, in today’s NHL, it’s adapt to survive, and the Red Wings have little choice but to embrace the league’s new reality.
Whether Larkin changes his mind or remains dead set on leaving via trade, Detroit may ultimately have its disgruntled captain to thank for setting off a chain reaction that could put the organization back on top.
