The Detroit Red Wings wrapped up the 2021-22 NHL season yesterday with a 5-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils, and almost immediately afterward, speculation began to build as to what GM Steve Yzerman would do regarding the status of head coach Jeff Blashill. We now have the answer.
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The Red Wings announced today that they will not be renewing Blashill's contract, meaning that for the first time since the 2015-16 season, there will be a new head coach behind the bench. Additionally, the contracts of assistant Doug Houda, as well as goaltending coach Jeff Salajko, will not be renewed, either.
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) April 30, 2022
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In seven years with the Red Wings, Blashill amassed a record of 204-261-71, while leading the team to the postseason just once. He was also the longest-tenured head coach in the NHL behind Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper.
And while Yzerman had stated last year that it wouldn't be fair to judge Blashill's performance as head coach thanks to the subpar roster that he had to work with, his hand was forced after the last three months of this season that saw the Red Wings seemingly give up goals at will to the opposition.
NHL Metropolitan Division betting favorites
The Stanley Cup Playoffs are set to begin on May 2 with Game 1 of four series, two from each conference. This betting guide will offer some insight into the Metropolitan Division and the odds of each team heading into the postseason.
Carolina Hurricanes (+1000)
54-20-8, 3.38 GF/GP, 2.44 GA/GP, L10: 8-2-0
The Hurricanes became one of the hottest teams in the league this year, sitting atop the Metropolitan Division. Inspiring performances from Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen elevated the team to a higher level. New arrivals in Tony DeAngelo and Frederik Andersen paid dividends, as both players had major turnaround seasons. Carolina won their last six games of the season, despite a rocky start to April and are coming in on a great note.
The Hurricanes didn’t do a whole lot at the trade deadline, but they didn’t need to. They acquired Max Domi for some additional scoring and sandpaper and completed one minor-league deal. Considering their standing in the playoffs, it was rather peculiar to see them remain as quiet as they were, and we’ll see how that pays off.
