Red Wings Rant Podcast

Training camp is underway, the prospects are back on the ice and the Detroit Red Wings finally have a general manager. Sort of.Detroit named Shawn Horcoff interim General Manager after spending two months searching for Steve Yzerman’s replacement. Horcoff has full authority over roster decisions, the salary cap and hockey operations personnel, but the interim label remains while Chris Ilitch continues the search on his own timeline.Did Detroit choose Horcoff because he is the right leader for the organization, or did the search leave the Red Wings with the executive who was already in the building?We break down the official explanation, why Horcoff makes sense and what the appointment could reveal about Detroit’s direction, spending expectations and ability to attract an experienced outside candidate. We also examine the contradiction between demanding a new vision while keeping Yzerman beside ownership as a senior advisor.Then we return to the unresolved Dylan Larkin situation. Detroit removed the captain’s “C,” asked the media to give him space and suggested he could reassess his future after a new GM arrived. What happens when that new GM is only interim?There is actual hockey to discuss too. Carter Bear has brought pace, skill and a relentless motor. Théo Rochette looks polished, Nate Danielson has shown flashes in his return and Trey Augustine and Anton Johansson remain two of the most interesting names to watch during the preseason.Does appointing Shawn Horcoff stabilize the Red Wings, or confirm that the general manager search has gone completely off the rails?Let us know what you think, like the episode and subscribe for more Red Wings Rant. JOIN THE DISCORD: https://discord.gg/rd2RUDkzuSLet’s have fun!Sponsored by Draft Kings!Find us on your favorite Podcast App by clicking here: https://link.chtbl.com/redwingsrantEpisode sponsored by Draft Kings. Use promo code 'THPN' to unlock exclusive offers when you sign up! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Elliotte Friedman says the Red Wings are open to a nontraditional GM who can present a specific plan and that resources will be available. Carlos Monarrez’s anonymous sources paint a more explosive picture: Chris Ilitch allegedly hesitated on major signings, Steve Yzerman struggled to speak ownership’s analytical language, and Little Caesars Arena is now “chaotic.” How much of that should we believe? We examine four possibilities: Monarrez’s sourcing is thin; Ilitch reasonably demanded a better argument for spending his money; Yzerman built a front office that failed to evolve; or ownership never trusted its hockey people enough to let them make hockey decisions. And if that final version is true, the question becomes much bigger than who gets the GM job: What exactly have Red Wings fans been rooting and paying for?     JOIN THE DISCORD: https://discord.gg/rd2RUDkzuSLet’s have fun!Sponsored by Draft Kings!Find us on your favorite Podcast App by clicking here: https://link.chtbl.com/redwingsrantEpisode sponsored by Draft Kings. Use promo code 'THPN' to unlock exclusive offers when you sign up! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The biggest update on the Detroit Red Wings’ GM search is that there still isn’t one. The Tigers traded generational ace Tarik Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Meanwhile, the Red Wings remain early in their search for Steve Yzerman’s replacement—with major decisions involving Dylan Larkin, Simon Edvinsson and Alex DeBrincat still waiting. In this episode of Red Wings Rant, Mike and Matt discuss: Why Detroit’s late-starting GM search remains quiet Hiring of a search firm What Max Bultman is hearing about the timeline and candidate profile Whether the Tigers’ trade deadline delayed the Red Wings’ process The theory that the Skubal trade could intensify MLB’s salary-cap fight How a potential MLB lockout could affect the Ilitch organization’s hockey priorities Why “thorough” cannot become another word for “frozen” Was Detroit simply waiting for the MLB trade deadline—or is the Red Wings’ search still moving too slowly? Comment below, like the video, and subscribe for more Red Wings Rant.   JOIN THE DISCORD: https://discord.gg/rd2RUDkzuSLet’s have fun!Sponsored by Draft Kings!Find us on your favorite Podcast App by clicking here: https://link.chtbl.com/redwingsrantEpisode sponsored by Draft Kings. Use promo code 'THPN' to unlock exclusive offers when you sign up! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We count down 15 candidates to become Detroit’s next general manager or head of hockey operations. This is not a prediction of who Chris Ilitch is most likely to hire. It’s a ranking of who could create the clearest break from the previous regime and deliver a faster, more modern turnaround. The candidates include: Kris Draper, Shawn Horcoff, Ryan Martin, Tom Fitzgerald, Brendan Shanahan, Marc Bergevin, Josh Flynn, Brandon Pridham, Jim Nill, Scott White, Sam Ventura, Evan Gold, Brett Peterson, Tim Barnes and Darren Yorke. Who can establish a legitimate contention window? Who would bring analytics, aggressive roster management and a modern player-first philosophy to Detroit? And which candidates would offer little more than another version of the Yzerplan? Let us know your No. 1 choice—and which candidate you want nowhere near the job.   JOIN THE DISCORD: https://discord.gg/rd2RUDkzuSLet’s have fun!Sponsored by Draft Kings!Find us on your favorite Podcast App by clicking here: https://link.chtbl.com/redwingsrantEpisode sponsored by Draft Kings. Use promo code 'THPN' to unlock exclusive offers when you sign up! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Steve Yzerman era as Red Wings general manager is over — kind of. The Detroit Red Wings announced a major hockey operations leadership transition, with Yzerman moving out of the GM role and into a senior advisor position while the organization begins a search for a new head of hockey operations. So… what now? Is this the beginning of a real organizational reset? Is this a move designed to speed up the Dylan Larkin trade? Could it actually convince Larkin, Patrick Kane, or Alex DeBrincat to stay? Or is this just a PR move meant to make fans believe something is changing while the same leadership structure remains in place? Tonight on Red Wings Rant, we completely pivot from our planned episode and react to the biggest Detroit Red Wings news in years. We discuss what Yzerman’s tenure became, why the Yzerplan ultimately failed, and why fans can finally start letting go of a rebuild plan that never delivered a playoff appearance. We also look at the timing of this move, why it comes after another Yzerman-directed offseason, and whether this could go down as one of the worst offseasons in recent Red Wings history. Topics include: Steve Yzerman transitioning out of the GM role Chris Ilitch leading the search for new hockey operations leadership Whether this is a real reset or just a PR stunt Dylan Larkin’s four-team trade list Could Larkin change his mind now? Does this speed up a Larkin trade? Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat’s futures The Jake Walman trade Sebastian Cossa and Amadeus Lombardi being moved The need for a full scouting and pro personnel revamp Whether the Red Wings need an outside voice Why the next major transaction will define whether this is real change The Yzerplan is over. But the bigger question is whether the Red Wings are actually changing — or just changing the headline. JOIN THE DISCORD: https://discord.gg/rd2RUDkzuSLet’s have fun!Sponsored by Draft Kings!Find us on your favorite Podcast App by clicking here: https://link.chtbl.com/redwingsrantEpisode sponsored by Draft Kings. Use promo code 'THPN' to unlock exclusive offers when you sign up! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.