Abel to Yzerman · Jun 7, 2018
To Become An Elite Team Again
from Ansar Khan of Mlive,
They need to draft wisely, develop their prospects and young players and supplement the roster with value for value trades and the occasional free-agent signing.
After several years of trying to retool on the fly, picking up a veteran free agent or two in the off-season, buying at the trade deadline, the Red Wings have embraced the rebuild. Chris Ilitch and general manager Ken Holland both referred to it as a long process.
Building from the ground up through the draft is the strategy. They made several trades to accumulate 11 picks this year, including seven in the first three rounds. They have nine selections in 2019, including an extra second-rounder.