Nine long years! That’s how many seasons the Red Wings have failed to qualify for the postseason despite having 11 Stanley Cup victories under their name. After an equally poor 2024-25 season, naturally, eager fans couldn’t wait to see what moves Steve Yzerman, the general manager, pulled off at the 2025 NHL Draft. Thankfully, it seems like he’s got the perfect setup to make the right decisions. With that, the League’s new Draft format might have found its latest fan.

Ever since the NHL revealed in March that the 2025 Draft would opt for a decentralized format, there has been quite a lot of debate on its viability. “I do think we’re doing everything to make it pretty cool,” NHL’s president of content and events, Steve Mayer, said while talking about how the League is focused on bringing the best experience for all the stakeholders. And yet, pundits like Elliotte Friedman believe that a rollback to the previous arrangement is just a matter of time. But Yzerman isn’t one to bicker.

Elite Prospect‘s Sean Shapiro reached out on X on June 27 to share how the Red Wings’ GM feels about the NHL Draft being held virtually instead of at one central location. “Steve Yzerman remains a fan of the decentralized draft,” Shapiro notes in his social media update. “He said it felt like a calmer room/setup. Said tomorrow will probably drag on, but likes being in his offices and in his own confines,” Yzerman’s inclination toward the new format got further justification.

This year, 93 prospects were set to gather at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, while the teams made their picks from their home cities. The NHL made use of hundreds of cameras and technological support to make the whole draft a smooth operation for the teams, the stars, and over 3000 fans watching on TV or online. This was also the first time that a decentralized format was adopted since the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the same in 2020 and 2021.

When the teams voted for a decentralized set-up, focus was also the primary agenda on their lists. During the pandemic years, many teams found that working from their home offices helped them concentrate more on making the right decisions. “The less distraction you have when you’re in the room when it’s time to make a decision that can impact a franchise for 10-plus years,” said the LA Kings’ president, Luc Robitaille, on the 2025 NHL Draft format, further affirming Yzerman’s perspective.

And yet, for fans and the community in general, the whole experience of seeing the teams and the prospects congregate at the same location was a treat: the chaos, the pacing heartbeats, the whole nine yards. That will be something that is noticeably absent from the entire NHL Draft this year, but it seems like Yzerman and some of his peers wouldn’t mind cutting themselves some slack from all the hubbub.

“We can work around it…As long as the kids and the families like it, I am sure it is going to be great,” the Kings’ GM Ken Holland once again underscored the bottom line of the event. But for Yzerman, it was much more than just entertaining the fans.

The Red Wings cash in on their chip at the NHL Draft

Detroit had the 13th pick of the 2025 NHL Draft and made good use of the opportunity on the first night. It was also projected as a trade chip that the NHL franchise could have used to rope in any other star from other camps. However, led by Yzerman, the Red Wings didn’t make a move before Friday. As the much-anticipated moment came, Detroit used its top pick to draft the left winger Carter Bear.

“I think (we’re) getting a very intelligent hockey player, extremely competitive, and at the junior level, he really can score,” said the Red Wings’ GM of the latest addition to the team. With 82 points in 56 WHL regular-season games, Bear will add to the Red Wings’ offensive depth when he arrives in the NHL. As for Yzerman’s foes, they didn’t fare too badly either.

The New York Islanders, using the chance to make the first pick at this year’s NHL Draft, picked Matthew Schaefer, a member of the Canadian National Junior team. No. 2 overall pick, Michael Misa, went to the San Jose Sharks, while the Anaheim Ducks roped in Roger McQueen as the 10th overall pick. So far, so good! But will the calmness of this year’s NHL Draft prompt the teams and their respective authorities to bring back the decentralized format next year as well? What do you think?