Detroit — When general manager Steve Yzerman went on his free-agent signing spree in the offseason, some fans had a collective yawn.
Yzerman signed five unrestricted free agents — and acquired defenseman Marc Staal in a trade and signed undrafted free agent defenseman Mathias Brome — but none were marquee signings.
Forwards Bobby Ryan and Vladislav Namestnikov, defensemen Troy Stecher and Jon Merrill, and goaltender Thomas Greiss weren’t high profile — Ryan was the biggest name, but some felt he was way past his elite days — and some analysts weren’t sure how much they’d help.