For fans of the Detroit Red Wings who were hoping that GM Steve Yzerman would bring aboard his former linemate and Jack Adams Award-winning coach Gerard Gallant back to Hockeytown, they didn’t get the answer they wanted.
In fact, Yzerman has given a vote of confidence to head coach Jeff Blashill, declaring it unfair to judge his performance as Detroit’s bench boss during last season’s nightmarish 17-49-5 campaign that ended in March thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. Injuries to players of all positions combined with historically poor performances in net resulted in Detroit’s lowest point total in over three decades.
However, according to veteran Detroit Free Press writer Helene St. James, this season will see Blashill judged by the team’s performance.
Check out the reasoning below:
“Blashill is on the hot seat. He is entering the last year of his contract and will be in charge of an improved roster.
Yzerman has made multiple changes, bringing in forwards Vladislav Namestnikov and Bobby Ryan, defensemen Marc Staal, Jon Merrill and Troy Stecher, and goaltender Thomas Greiss. With the caveat that injuries can change things, the perception is the Wings can put together three scoring lines, solid defensive pairs, and have two goaltenders who’ll give them a chance to win.
They don’t look like a playoff team, but they will be expected to be more competitive.”
While the Red Wings are still a ways off from returning to their annual reservation in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the multiple changes made by Yzerman mean Blashill’s team will be expected to show big signs of starting to turn the corner.
Do you agree that Blashill will be judged by management with how his improved team performs on the ice this season?
– – Quotes via Helene St. James of The Detroit Free Press Link – –
He should be to some degree. Last season Yzerman could see that the roster was still filled with people that needed to end their career in the NHL. He’s wiped that slate almost clean and provided Blashill with guys that can compete every night even if they still ultimately lose more games than not. Blashill has no excuse right now to coach a team to the absolute bottom like last season. I’m not saying playoffs would be a reasonable expectation, but the team should be competitive within the last five teams at least. If the team can’t reach about 30-35 wins (as a measure of 82 games, so adjust appropriately), I wouldn’t be surprised to see his contract expire without a new one on the table.
No I don’t. Blashill is a good coach. Nobody can win with the lack of talent that he has had to work with. If you can’t score and if you lack quality defense men you are not going to win, period. I think he should be judged when he actually has some talent to work with.
How about the previous years that Blashill managed the team? Please let this be his last year.