00:01well good morning welcome to Carson Anderson here on 97.1 uh the transition is always smooth
00:09between the morning show and the midday show uh particularly when on remote so uh please bear
00:15with us as uh Doug is uh trying to get everything set up stuff going on here but um obviously
00:21Doug
00:22we start with news that broke literally 60 minutes ago um I was putting together my thoughts
00:30for the show and email form getting ready to send it out to you and then I saw the email
00:35come across
00:36from the Red Wings PR saying that Steve Iserman will be accepting a role upstairs and and being
00:45basically uh a role to assist Chris Illich with the organization and that he will no longer be
00:53the president of hockey operations with this team and or the general manager and they are now actively
00:59looking for a replacement internally and externally they will evaluate all options don't know when
01:05this is going to get done there's a million questions about this and what this means for
01:11the Red Wings organization who asked for this is this something Chris Illich said hey we're going
01:15to have to to make a move uh did Steve Iserman say look this just isn't working out I recognize
01:22this
01:22let's let's try to change them some things up here um I I don't know what happened I'm sure there's
01:28a
01:28the Dylan Larkin question is out there you know what role does does he play in in all of this
01:34what does this mean for Dylan Larkin moving forward does does this encourage him to say hey I you know
01:40what you know Iserman and I didn't get along so you know as I do want to get traded but
01:46I'm also
01:46willing to wait and see if you want to oh who you decide to hire as the next leader of
01:53this franchise
01:53moving forward what does this mean for Tom McClellan the head coach um as we know when general managers
01:59are hired they typically like to bring in their own guys now a lot of times those GMs will hang
02:04on to the
02:05coach that's there and evaluate it and then decide if he wants to move on or not but a lot
02:10of times
02:10it happens right away too so there's a bunch of questions with this okay you want answers is my
02:18mic even on I'm sorry I can't hear myself at all my headphones uh here's what I think's going on
02:25Larkin told ownership I'm not playing for this guy this is what you think happened this is what I
02:30think happened and ownership side of Larkin or
02:39Steve Iserman the best offers he could get were only for futures for prospects and for draft picks
02:48and Steve Iserman has to make the playoffs and we talked about this for a few weeks about how
02:55Iserman is in a bad spot and how and why unfortunately he probably shouldn't be the
03:00one making this decision because he has to win now and every piece of reporting we heard
03:07was that Steve Iserman didn't want futures he didn't want prospects and he didn't want draft picks
03:14he wanted players now and we hear that Minnesota wanted wanted Dylan Larkin and Iserman wanted Matt
03:21Boldy right and when we hear stuff like that Iserman was in a a compromised spot as the general manager
03:32and I hate this because Steve Iserman's a legend this is this has been painful right not for some
03:38people but it is it has been I think for both of us because we both talked about why he's
03:44compromised
03:45and why he shouldn't be making this call and they should have moved on and they eventually did but I
03:52think it's because they got backed into the corner I think Iserman is in a in a tough spot
03:59from a standpoint of he's got he had to win now and he so what he wanted teams weren't offering
04:07so I think one of two things is happening Larkin is staying
04:11he's gonna stay now or he's about to get traded
04:15by a new general manager for draft picks
04:20and or prospects that aren't gonna immediately impact this team
04:25but an attractive enough
04:27group of prospects and draft picks that
04:32you you have a situation where
04:35they they they can they can do it
04:38and and get back and make a good trade from a hockey sense that just isn't going to pay immediate
04:44dividends and Iserman needed immediate immediate dividends
04:47he he couldn't sit here and say I am making a phenomenal trade that this organization is going
04:53to be so happy we made in 2029
04:56he couldn't do that and so I think one of those two things happened and I and and
05:01you know we're working our way through this in real time it just happened
05:04there's little reporting out there and
05:08essentially we have a situation where
05:12they why did it happen now I think it happened now for those reasons
05:16one of those two reasons and you know what I think is becoming abundantly clear
05:21whatever Larkin is as a player okay and and like I heard somebody call up and use the term superstar
05:27and and I thought well immediately there are going to be some people to take issue with that description of
05:31his game
05:32but whatever Larkin is as a player
05:35his contract and his term makes him a extremely valuable asset
05:4130 goal scorers are getting 10 million 12 million
05:44and the Red Wings got him locked up at eight and a half for five more years
05:48so people wanted him
05:51and when you have why is that valuable it's valuable
05:54because you can do other things so
05:57as the cap continues to grow
05:59as the cap continues to grow
06:01you don't have to spend it necessarily on a on a number one or at worst a number two center
06:06on your team
06:07it's a team-friendly contract right
06:08it's extraordinarily and and and it's not the only one they have
06:12and so I think you're looking at a situation where this team
06:17and this they realized how and why they were stuck
06:23and because of how and why they were stuck
06:27I'm gonna guess that this was a mutual decision
06:30where Steve was given a soft landing spot
06:33and the organization can do what's in the best interest of the organization
06:36and the general manager
06:38and the agenda that had to come with the pressure that was applied
06:42because of having to make the playoffs
06:44the general manager is not getting it away
06:47and I and I will say
06:49from my standpoint
06:51thank you Steve Eisenman
06:52for everything you've done for this organization
06:54historically and even now
06:56I am hopeful that your draft picks
06:58and the guys that you got
06:59we will see them pay dividends
07:01and that somehow some way
07:03he can be a part of the organization still
07:05in a role where he can help the team
07:09and and for the people that are frustrated with with what happened
07:12with Steve Eisenman
07:13can can give him a big giant hug and say it's okay
07:16like I you know I
07:17I can't stand the way that Joe Dumas era ended
07:21right Alan Trammell has been re-embraced by the Tiger team
07:25and it seems to be a beloved figure once again after his step as a manager
07:29but as it stands right now
07:32it is I think one of those two things happen
07:35this is sort of a hunch
07:37and I floated this out there
07:39to hockey minds in the game
07:41said you that sounds awfully plausible
07:45and then I got back
07:46or it could be something else
07:48that I'm not willing to
07:50like there there's other theories out there
07:52but they weren't going to give them to me
07:53so what do you I don't know man
07:55what do you think
07:56I think this is something that was necessary
07:59I'm glad actually
08:01that it worked out the way that it's working out now
08:03because it does allow Eisenman to save face a little bit
08:08I was a massive Steve Eisenman fan growing up
08:11I obviously watched his whole career here
08:14you saw him leave for Tampa
08:17and if you remember what people thought about that at the time
08:21like he left the Red Wings organization to go to Tampa
08:23people were pissed
08:24people were like why go there
08:25why isn't he here
08:27why are we still with Kenny Holland
08:29why can't Steve Eisenman take over for Ken Holland right now
08:34and eventually it comes full circle
08:36and he comes back
08:37and everybody wanted it to work out
08:39and I'm sad that it didn't work out with him
08:42I don't know how close he was
08:44it got to a point
08:46there was a caller earlier
08:48towards the end of their show
08:49it was clearly an eiserbot
08:50it was the same guy that we had on last week
08:52and I was stunned that that call was out there
08:55but the caller was right to a point
08:57and then he gets off the rails
08:59and that was that there was improvement
09:00yeah there was improvement
09:02and then Costa's also right
09:03there's also a plateau
09:06and the problem is they couldn't get past the plateau
09:08and if the plateau is
09:10you know the purgatory of being good enough
09:12to not make the playoffs
09:14and you do that for as many years in a row as they have
09:17it's time to move on
09:18and I thought that
09:20when I heard the news this morning an hour ago
09:22I thought
09:24okay I think this kind of makes sense
09:26I think this kind of makes sense
09:27with the way that they're getting it done
09:29now
09:29did it
09:30does it happen too late
09:31did they miss their window
09:33should they have done this
09:34you know a month ago
09:37so that they would have had some momentum
09:38going into
09:39the draft
09:41a different kind of
09:42could they have had a conversation
09:44with Dylan Larkin
09:45before the word got out
09:46that he wanted to get
09:47that we wanted to leave
09:49there's a lot that
09:50that's still there to unpack
09:51that we don't know about
09:52and you know
09:54this is going to look like
09:55a power struggle
09:56between Dylan Larkin
09:57and Steve Iserman
09:58until we find out
10:00what happens with Dylan Larkin's fate
10:01if Dylan Larkin
10:02stays
10:03it's going to look like
10:04a power struggle
10:05and then the player wins
10:06if it's
10:08Dylan Larkin
10:09still gets traded
10:10then
10:11maybe that power struggle
10:12narrative goes away
10:13okay
10:14a few things here
10:15as we
10:16we get you set here
10:17for a
10:17a show on a Wednesday
10:19with a lot of breaking news
10:20Steve Iserman out
10:21as general manager
10:22still retains a role
10:23in the organization
10:24we are at the
10:25youth sports combine
10:26with Detroit Pal
10:28at their headquarters
10:29which is the old
10:29Tiger Stadium
10:30the corner ballpark
10:32broadcasting live out here
10:33supporting the event
10:34today
10:34and also
10:37we will be taking
10:39your calls
10:39and just doing a regular show
10:40streaming on Twitch
10:41and YouTube
10:41streaming on Odyssey
10:43Kang
10:44our producer back in the studio
10:45I have two questions
10:46for you real quick
10:47one
10:47did you figure out
10:48if it was me or Gator
10:49that had the live read
10:50I believe it's me
10:51is that right
10:52yeah
10:52okay
10:52and two is
10:53what do you think
10:54of this move
10:54something that I know
10:55you've been talking about
10:56for one of the first
10:58to get on
10:58that this Iserman thing
10:59wasn't working out
11:00yeah I think
11:01the common theme
11:02from what
11:02the early reports
11:03from just like
11:03you know
11:04the writers and things
11:05is that there's
11:06everyone saying
11:07stunned
11:07yet not surprised
11:08so what does that tell you
11:10it tells you
11:10he wasn't doing the job
11:12as a general manager
11:13but they didn't think
11:14this was going to happen
11:15because of what he's done
11:16meant to this organization
11:17historically
11:18right
11:18as a player
11:19and all that
11:20so
11:22I kind of felt like
11:23I feel the exact same way
11:25like I didn't think
11:26maybe I just had
11:27I don't want to say
11:28given up
11:28but I didn't think
11:29it was going to happen
11:29right
11:29my only question is
11:30guys though
11:31and you kind of
11:32brought up there
11:32at the end is
11:33is it because of
11:34the Larkin trade request
11:36because this should have
11:36happened at the end
11:37of the season
11:37and if you're going
11:38to move on
11:38right
11:39and find a new GM
11:40to take over
11:41give him
11:42give him the
11:43give him the whole
11:43off season
11:44now you get started
11:45after the draft
11:46and after a lot of
11:47you know
11:47free agents
11:48and trades
11:48have happened
11:49right
11:50so I feel like
11:50they hurt himself
11:52again somehow
11:52by making this
11:53decision so late
11:54so
11:54well they could have
11:55but there's so much
11:56and I agree with that
11:57I mean that's certainly
11:58a possibility
11:58right
11:59but is it also
12:00a possibility
12:01that something
12:02has happened
12:02here in the last week
12:03that has changed
12:04things up
12:05where like
12:06Larkin's camp
12:07is so adamant
12:07that they're not
12:08going to expand
12:09this list of teams
12:09that he wants
12:10to be traded to
12:11and Steve
12:12you know
12:12he can talk
12:13tough about it
12:14and I appreciated that
12:15saying hey look
12:15you're signed
12:16for five more years
12:16you may have to
12:17enter training camp
12:18as a Red Wing
12:19but maybe at some
12:20point he's like
12:21this isn't going
12:22to work out
12:22I can't
12:23I can't work
12:24with what they're
12:24giving me
12:25I actually have
12:25a theory that
12:26Steve
12:26kind of did
12:29something that
12:29was counterintuitive
12:30for job security
12:32but we'll get
12:32to all that
12:33and I know
12:33people want
12:33to respond
12:352485-3997-97
12:36it's Carson Anderson
12:37we'll knock down
12:38your phone calls
12:39breaking news
12:39Steve Eisenman
12:40out as GM
12:41with the Detroit
12:41Red Wings
12:4297.1
12:43and I'll see you
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