Red Wings Nearly Signed Steven Stamkos

As the Detroit Red Wings venture further from the Steve Yzerman era, many details have been revealed about some of the moves Yzerman nearly made.

Yesterday, Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press shared that the Red Wings nearly signed Anthony Mantha, only to have the proposal nixed by owner Chris Ilitch. In another report, Monarrez revealed that Detroit nearly signed Steven Stamkos before the 2024-25 season, only to have Ilitch scrap that one, too.

It’s unknown whether the Red Wings offered an identical four-year, $32MM ($8MM AAV) contract, including a full no-movement clause.  Despite coming off of a point-per-game season, it’s not unreasonable to think an owner could be hesitant to commit that much money to a 34-year-old veteran.

Still, it’s another question of what could have been for Red Wings fans. Stamkos returned to his goal-scoring ways this past season, but hasn’t been the complete player he was with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Regardless, Detroit has struggled to produce at even strength the past two seasons, and Stamkos’ 72 points at 5-on-5 play throughout the same stretch would have been helpful.

Because he never came to Detroit, it’s somewhat meaningless to go down the line of what could have been. It’s not surprising that Yzerman targeted him, however; he gave Stamkos a combined 13-year, $105.5MM when he was General Manager of the Lightning. Given how the relationship between Stamkos and Tampa Bay ended on a sour note, it would have made sense for Stamkos to rejoin a General Manager with whom he has a good relationship.

These recent reports highlight the extent of authority Yzerman had while serving as the General Manager of the Red Wings. While it’s common for owners to intervene if they believe their money isn’t being spent wisely, the level of involvement varies significantly from one organization to another.

There’s no information, and likely never will be, as to if Illitch is a micromanager and to what degree. However, if he is, few would admonish Yzerman for simply throwing up his hands and looking for a different role if he was unable to accomplish what he wanted, due to roadblocks being constructed by the owner.