Steve Yzerman entered free agency searching for short-term additions, and found one he knows well in Valtteri Filppula.
"I’m really excited. Obviously you never know what’s going to happen," he said in a conference call with local reporters. "I had a great time there the first time. Loved the team, loved the city, everything was good, so it was an easy decision to come back.
"Obviously now the team is a lot different than what it was back then. Still a few guys I played with, so that’s going to be fun to see those guys again. Like I said, it's a lot younger roster now."
Filppula's first stint with the Wings came from 2005-13 in the midst of their 25-year playoff streak. He joins a team that's missed the playoffs three years in a row. It's Yzerman's hope that Filppula's experience and skill as a center will help Detroit put an end to that drought.
"We had a hole in the middle we felt," Yzerman said. "With Dylan Larkin, Frans Nielsen, Luke Glendening down the middle -- potentially Jacob De La Rose can play there, (Justin Abdelkader) can even play there, Darren Helm could play there -- we have options. But we’re looking for someone with playmaking (ability), can play on the power play. We wanted to add another centermen."
And by doing so, Yzerman went on, Andreas Athanasiou can go back to playing on the wing.
"We know he played some center at the end of the season and looked good there, but his natural position is on the wing. That allows us to put him back on the wing. And Fil’s a very good two-way center men. He can win face-offs, he can play in all situations, so we really felt we were going to plug a hole by bringing him in," said Yzerman.
Filppula, 35, is entering his 15th NHL season. He played for Tampa Bay from 2013-17 after Yzerman, then GM of the Lightning, brought him there from Detroit. Filpulla said their "good relationship" was a big factor in his decision to return to the Wings.
After putting up 17 goals and 31 points in 71 games with the Islanders last season, Filppula said he had a couple options in free agency.
"I think pretty quickly it came between the Islanders or coming back to Detroit," he said. "But I’m definitely happy about this decision."
Though the rebuilding Wings have spent the last three seasons in the basement of the Eastern Conference, Filppula believes they're close to getting back to the playoffs. He could sense it from playing against them in recent seasons.
That was another reason he opted for a reunion.
"The league is really even now," he said. "Every team can play well, you’re going to have a good chance against anybody. Obviously I've played against these guys for a while now, and I feel like it’s been a tough team to play against. To have some familiar faces as well, that’s always a nice thing. I think it’s going to be a good opportunity for us to play well and fight for a playoff spot, like everybody else."
The Red Wings feature five players who were on the roster during Filppula's last season with the team: Abdelkader, Helm, Danny DeKeyser, Jonathan Ericsson and Jimmy Howard. Niklas Kronwall could return, too, but hasn't yet determined his plans for next season. Filppula said he plans to reach out to his former teammate in the next few days.
For the most part, though, the roster is set heading into training camp. Yzerman achieved what he intended to on the first day of free agency.
"We were looking at doing shorter-term deals with everyone that we spoke with. Being new to the organization, I want to proceed somewhat slowly and get to know what we really have within the organization," he said. "I think I have a good handle on the NHL team. But with the prospects we have coming, I wanted to give us balance and flexibility of providing opportunities for our young players, but also trying to help the Detroit Red Wings immediately as much as possible."
Should the Wings dip back into the free agent market between now and the start of the season, Yzerman said, it would have to be for the right player on the right contract. Either way, there will be plenty of opportunities for the prospects to win jobs in training camp.
"Even if we were to sign another player, we still are in a position that those young guys are competing for it. And if they’re ready to play, they're going to push somebody out and we'll deal with it at that time," said Yzerman. "Whether we sign another forward or another defenseman, it doesn’t box out any of our young players. What it does, it gives us a little protection if they’re not ready to go in the fall."