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The Detroit Red Wings made a big change on Thursday with news that Derek Lalonde was out, and Todd McLellan will be taking over behind the team’s bench.

On Friday, GM Steve Yzerman — the man tasked with bringing the Original 6 franchise back to the winning ways of the 1990s and 2000s — spoke to the media and he didn’t seem to like one reporter’s line of questioning about the current rebuild.

You can understand why people are starting to get a little impatient with the state of the Red Wings. I think everyone knew it would take some time to get back to the top, but there have been some false dawns, and this year the team has taken a step back.

So, I think a question about the process is fair, but Yzerplan didn’t seem too pumped about it.

“That’s what I’m going to stick to doing,” Yzerman said. “If you have a better way, you’re free to share it with me. Seriously.”

I think the question is fair, but so was his answer. Do people really think he’s not trying to get this ship righted as soon as humanly possible? And even if he does, it won’t be on par with the Red Wings teams of 20 years ago (go look up the 2002 Red Wings roster and your jaw will hit the floor; they had everyone).

“We’re trying to get better, we’re trying to expedite this thing,” Yzerman continued. “Ultimately, we need that core of players… that’s taken a long time. Longer than you or anybody else here would have liked, including myself.”

While you’ve got to assume Yzerman — a Red Wings franchise legend with a proven front office track record — will have about as long of a leash as any GM in hockey.

But, with every move he makes that doesn’t result in noticeable progression for the club, his seat is going to get warmer.

The McLellan move is a good one, but I think the team is pushing its chips to the center more than people realize, because if this doesn’t work — especially when you consider the solid core of veteran and young talent it has — Detroit may have to go back to the drawing board.