Red Wings Legend Has Major Issue With Rebuild

This franchise legend was a huge part of the Detroit Red Wings' dynasty.

Red Wings Pavel Datsyuk, left, and Henrik Zetterberg on the bench between plays during practice at Joe Louis Arena on Tuesday, April 20, 2004. Wings 042004 Prac Jhg7 / JULIAN H. GONZALEZ, Detroit Free Press

The Detroit Red Wings long to return to the days when they ruled the NHL. The Wings were arguably the most dominant franchise during the late 1990s and early 2000s, winning four Stanley Cups between 1996 and 2008.

A huge part of that Red Wings dynasty was franchise legend Pavel Datsyuk. The 2024 inductee into the Hockey Hall of Fame was one of the most dazzling players to step foot onto the NHL ice. Nicknamed “Magic Man” for his unbelievable stick-handling and playmaking abilities, he finished his NHL career with 916 points in 953 games, all played with Detroit. Since Datsyuk’s final NHL campaign in 2015-2016, the Wings have failed to qualify for the postseason.

In his post-playing days, the Red Wings’ icon is taking on roles like player development advisor and hockey program builder in his native country of Russia. He returned to Detroit for their rookie development camp in 2024 and the organization has turned to him often for his advice and perspective. Datsyuk recently spoke with Sergey Demidov of RG about his NHL franchise, and he shared a major insight into why the rebuild in Detroit is taking so long: a lack of leaders.

“They say a rebuild takes about seven years, but since Detroit was so high up, the road back to the top takes even longer,” he told Demidov. “Now Detroit has a great arena, which is already a big plus. Perhaps what the team lacks is standout leaders – but that’s true not only for Detroit, it applies to hockey in general. Players are maturing more slowly these days, and some never mature at all, staying teenagers forever.”

Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk carries the Stanley Cup after the 3-2 victory in game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday, June 4, 2008 at Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh. / MANDI WRIGHT / USA TODAY NETWORK

While Datsyuk applied that lack of leadership label to the entire NHL, it feels particularly damning when referring to his former team. The Wings are led by his former teammate and boss, Steve Yzerman. Under Yzerman, the Wings have attempted unsuccessfully to navigate a rebuilding process that puts Detroit back into Stanley Cup contention. Still, there has been a steadfast dedication to the “Yzerplan” and the long-term rebuild.

But maybe Datsyuk is pointing out what many are already thinking. Aside from captain Dylan Larkin, the team does have a glaring hole when it comes to proven veterans. Furthermore, and this is no disrespect to Larkin, they have barely any winning experience across their lineup. That wasn’t the case for Datsyuk and company when he was a member of the Red Wings. Yzerman won multiple cups, as did Datsyuk.

If the Red Wings are going to return to prominence, it will be a massive step forward. They’ve missed the postseason in nine consecutive seasons, and with plenty of improvement needed in their lineup, perhaps a bit more leadership could bring them into the next stage of their franchise rebuild.

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