Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman suggested the club needs new blood on the roster to snap a 10-year playoff drought next season.
"Well, the most obvious would be we need better players," Yzerman said at his end-of-season availability on Thursday, per TSN. "We need to improve, specifically, in certain areas. We can talk about goal-scoring; we need to improve in that area, particularly at five-on-five."
Yzerman added, "Collectively, if you're watching the playoffs, and I'm assuming and hoping our players are, to play with the intensity and determination needed to be successful to make the playoffs. But ultimately, it's incumbent upon me and my staff to improve the team."
The Red Wings held a playoff position for most of the season but crumbled down the stretch to miss the cut. Detroit hasn't made the postseason since 2015-16 and hired Yzerman as general manager in 2019 to oversee a rebuild that hasn't yet led to success.
Following an 8-1 loss to the Florida Panthers in the regular season's final game, head coach Todd McLellan said the whole team should be embarrassed about how the campaign ended.
The Red Wings have most of their roster under contract for next season and have over $11 million in projected cap space this summer, according to PuckPedia. However, Detroit doesn't have a first-round pick this year after trading it to the St. Louis Blues for Justin Faulk.
