Yzerman: Red Wings weren't going to be buyers 'under any circumstance' this year

General manager Steve Yzerman poured cold water on the idea of the Detroit Red Wings having an aggressive trade deadline to supplement their chances in a crowded Eastern Conference wild-card race.

"I was not going to be a buyer under any circumstance," Yzerman said, per WZYZ Detroit's Brad Galli. "Not this year."

A hot stretch in February made it seem as though Detroit could push to end its six-year playoff drought, but recent back-to-back losses to the Ottawa Senators, who are also fighting for a spot, cemented Yzerman's stance.

He traded Filip Hronek, Tyler Bertuzzi, Jakub Vrana, and Oskar Sundqvist leading up to Friday's deadline, and worked out a new eight-year extension with captain Dylan Larkin along the way.

"If I really thought that this group had a chance to make the playoffs, and ultimately, not just make them, but really go on a run, then maybe you keep your team together," Yzerman said.

He added: "Do I think we're a Stanley Cup contender this year? No. Did I think we had a chance to make the playoffs? Yes. And if I thought we were a Stanley Cup contender I would not have traded our unrestricted free agents."

Yzerman's recent trades recouped a bevy of assets for Detroit, who now own five picks in the opening two rounds of the 2023 draft and two first-rounders in 2024.

The Red Wings have banked 65 points on the season, and are five back of the New York Islanders for a wild-card spot with three fewer games played. However, four teams in the East currently sit between Detroit and New York at 66 points.

Yzerman took over as Red Wings GM in 2019 after eight seasons in charge of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

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