While the Detroit Red Wings have reportedly set a key condition for Dylan Larkin’s trade, their search for Steve Yzerman’s replacement is still ongoing. In fact, it’s the top priority heading into the NHL season. Amid speculation over who could succeed Yzerman, a report suggests Red Wings owner Chris Ilitch could turn to someone from his other sports franchise, MLB’s Detroit Tigers.
According to Elliotte Friedman, the Red Wings are considering Jeffrey Greenberg to become their next general manager. Ilitch knows Greenberg personally, as the latter is currently the Tigers’ general manager.
While hiring a current MLB executive may sound surprising, Greenberg has NHL experience, having served as an associate general manager with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2022.
Detroit knows how much pressure there is to get its 13th general manager hire right, and perhaps the significance of the number adds to that pressure. Maybe Greenberg is the right call, even if it’s one alternative not many saw coming.
Steve Yzerman of the Detroit Red Wings.
Tigers haven’t had much more success
Although Greenberg could turn out to be the solution for the Red Wings, his last few months at the helm of the Tigers haven’t been particularly kind to him. Recently, the Red Wings’ ownership set a bad precedent amid the Larkin rumors, and it was because the Tigers parted with their best pitcher ahead of the MLB trade deadline.
Greenberg did help the Tigers reach the postseason—which the Red Wings haven’t achieved in any season under Yzerman—but failed to win more than one round in any playoff appearance. Moreover, Greenberg’s 2026 season with the Tigers was far from memorable. Still, the hope remains that he can have better luck in the NHL with the Red Wings.
Reports state that Larkin’s trade request sparked a major front-office overhaul in Detroit, with the organization steering toward more analytics-driven staff, and that’s something Greenberg would check the box on. After all, he arrived in Detroit because of his analytics-based approach, and it could be the reason he gets a new job just blocks away from his current workplace.
Ilitch faces crucial decision
After the passing of his father, Mike Ilitch, in 2017, Chris Ilitch took over as the principal owner of the Red Wings. In 2019, he made his first big call, naming Steve Yzerman as general manager. Seven years later, his patience ran out.
Yzerman will still serve as an advisor to Ilitch, but the owner believes it’s time to make a sharp turn. Needless to say, Yzerman’s tenure has left much to be desired, and Ilitch understands he must right his wrong with his next GM decision.
