No one wanted the Detroit Red Wings to rush through the process and make a rash decision about what could be their most important hiring decision in years.

But, they can’t afford to wait much longer.

It has been more than six weeks since Yzerman stepped down as the executive vice president and general manager. Detroit has yet to name a person who will lead its hockey operations into the future.

There has been some movement recently, but nothing concrete.

Reports have listed Florida Panthers assistant general manager Brett Peterson, San Jose Sharks assistant GM Jeff Kealty, along with Dallas Stars assistant GM Scott White as candidates.

The Detroit Tigers general manager and former Chicago Blackhawks associate GM Jeff Greenberg has been an interesting name listed as well.

All of this should be encouraging news as the organization is looking far and wide and not just focusing on the easy hire. But, the truth is, the calendar doesn’t care.

Training camp starts on September 17 and there are several pieces of very important business that have not been attended to.

At some point, the costs are going to outweight the benefits of being patient.

Detroit Red Wings right wing Alex DeBrincat Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This is a major decision and should be taken with great care. Yzerman was in charge for seven years and this will be a significant change, but it was one that was needed. This team hasn’t seen the playoffs in ten years.

Given that the team is going through the longest playoff drought in franchise history and now holds the longest active drought in the NHL, change was necessary. But change doesn’t mean an automatic turnaround.

Just getting someone behind the desk isn’t going to solve all the problems.

Finding the right person is just one part of this very extensive equation. Detroit needs to give this person plenty of time to actually do the job before the season starts.

Unfinished Business Piling Up

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A prime example of immediate business that needs handled is Simon Edvinsson. The 23-year-old defenseman is a restricted free agent after he finished his entry-level contract.

His agent, Peter Werner, has publicly stated that they are waiting patiently for a new general manager in order to proceed with contract talks.

Edvinsson is one of the franchise’s most important players at this point and getting him under contract to keep him on the blue line should be goal number one.

Then there is Dylan Larkin. This will likely be a drawn-out process. The captain wants a trade, but the Red Wings asking price is high. There is speculation that Detroit would rather just smooth the situation over, but Larkin has offered no hope that he will rescind his request.

The Minnesota Wild could still be in the conversation about Larkin, but no detectable movement has happened around this situation, and as of now, it looks like Larkin will report to Training Camp as a Red Wing.

Detroit can wait on Edvinsson. They can wait on Larkin. They can even wait on a GM. What they can’t do is wait on everything.

Time waits for no one, and the Red Wings aren’t excluded from this. The calendar clicks over a new day, every day. Hiring a new GM doesn’t make all the problems go away and it’s not even close to the finish line.

September is almost here, training camp is approaching and some of the biggest decisions this franchise has faced in years are unresolved.

The new GM needs time to get a resolution to both Edvinsson and Larkin. Every day that goes by gives the GM less time. Tick-tock, tick-tock.