2 Red Wings coaching candidates ‘stand out from field’

As you know, just after the conclusion of the 2021-22 regular season, the Detroit Red Wings announced that they had decided to part ways with head coach, Jeff Blashill.

Following the announcement, Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman explained why he decided it was the right time to move on from Blashill.

“Ultimately to make that decision, I felt our team fundamentally, that we kind of… I don't even know if plateaued is the right word. But we had gotten to a point where fundamentally, with and without the puck, we had regressed,” Yzerman added.

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2 Red Wings coaching candidates ‘stand out from field'

We are now approaching the end of June and the Red Wings still have not revealed who their next head coach will be.

On Thursday, Max Bultman of The Athletic released an article in which he “resets” the Red Wings coaching search and he mentioned a pair of candidates who “stand out from the field” of potential targets.

Those candidates are current Tampa Bay Lightning assistants Derek Lalonde and Jeff Halpern.

Here is some of what Bultman has to say about why Lalonde and Halpern “stand out from the field”.

The broad appeal of hiring from a highly successful organization formerly run by Yzerman is clear, with Halpern and Lalonde having seen what it takes to win in the modern NHL. Both have also had an up-close view of how Jon Cooper has helped turn a highly talented team into a ruthless winning machine.

Bultman went on to explain that though Lalonde and Helpern are both with the same organization, their resumes are quite different.

Halpern played 14 seasons in the NHL, from 1999 to 2014, and moved into coaching in 2015. That gives him not only a shorter resume behind the bench, but also the valuable perspective of having played in the league fairly recently. That was also the case for the Red Wings’ last coaching hire, assistant coach Alex Tanguay last summer, and could be useful when it comes to relating to players.

Lalonde, meanwhile, has coached his way up from being an assistant for NCAA Division III North Adams State, starting when he was 23 and taking the long route to the show. His path has included stops at Ferris State, the University of Denver, USHL Green Bay, ECHL Toledo and AHL Iowa, serving as head coach at the final three.

Bultman also suggested the following three coaches as potential candidates for the Red Wings:

Benoit Groulx, Syracuse Crunch (AHL) head coach

Ryan Warsofsky, Chicago Wolves (AHL) head coach

Barry Trotz, free agent

Click here to see what Bultman has to say about the “reset” for the Detroit Red Wings head coaching search.

Nation, who would you like to see the Red Wings hire to be their next head coach?