| Detroit Free Press
Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman talks draft, free agency – and yoga
Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman in a Zoom call on Oct. 1, 2020.
Steve Yzerman is putting his imprint on what he hopes will develop into a Stanley Cup contender.
A year after making defenseman Moritz Seider his first selection since taking over as general manager of the Detroit Red Wings in April 2019, Yzerman holds the fourth overall selection in the 2020 draft.
“Hopefully we draft well and build the nucleus of the team,” Yzerman said in advance of Tuesday’s first round (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN). “To build a team through free agency is impossible, it just doesn’t work. And to do it through trades I think is extremely difficult.”
The New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings and Ottawa Senators hold the first three picks, respectively.
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The draft was originally scheduled for June 26-27 in Montreal, but was delayed till this week because of the pandemic. The draft will take place virtually. A group of hockey operations personnel including chief of amateur scouting Kris Draper, chief amateur scout Jesse Wallin and assistant general managers Ryan Martin and Pat Verbeek will be ensconced in a conference room at Little Caesars headquarters, but Yzerman will join via Zoom because he is self-quarantining after being exposed to a person who tested positive for COVID-19.
Europe- and Canada-based amateur scouts will also join via Zoom because of travel restrictions, as will the team’s cadre of pro scouts in case there is a trade.
More: Detroit Red Wings’ Steve Yzerman reveals his NHL draft strategy
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Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her book, The Big 50: The Detroit Red Wings will be published October 13 by Triumph Books. To order, go to Amazon or Barnes & Noble.