Following the conclusion of the 2021-22 NHL regular season, the Detroit Red Wings announced that head coach Jeff Blashill would not be back for the 2022-23 season.
Blashill coached the Red Wings for seven seasons and though he really was never given a ton of talent to work with, GM Steve Yzerman felt the team had plateaued and it was time to go in a different direction.
“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.
“We’re at a point now where I felt like I’ve got to see if bringing in a new coach and coaching staff can make a difference to get us back and get us going in the right direction,” Yzerman said.
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Jeff Blashill believes he grew during his time in Detroit
During a recent interview with Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, Blashill explained how he believes he grew as a head coach during his time with the Red Wings.
“I would say unequivocally I’m a better coach today than I was seven years ago just because of the experience that I was able to gain through lots of different circumstances in Detroit,” Blashill told The Athletic this week. “I think when you go through the types of years that we went through, you either grow and, if you choose to, you can grow a lot.
“And I certainly felt like, and I feel today, that I gained a lot of knowledge through those experiences. So, I’m excited to see what the future holds, excited to see what opportunities are available. I love coaching. I love having an impact on teams, an impact on players. Just look forward to whatever the next opportunity is.”
But could Blashill find himself back in the NHL as soon as the upcoming season?
LeBrun published an article on Wednesday in which he looks at some of the top NHL free agent coaches and Blashill not only made the list but LeBrun says he thinks the former Red Wings coach will get some calls.
“I believe a few teams have put Blashill on their radar, perhaps not top of list, but I think he’s going to hear from some of them,” LeBrun wrote.
Nation, do you think Jeff Blashill will find himself back in the NHL as a head coach? Do you think it will happen this year or will he have to sit a year or two out?
I don’t necessarily think he’ll get another shot as a Head Coach within the next couple of years, however I do believe that he’d make a great asst. Coach. His record speaks for itself & he’s won at every level. I wish Blash continued success wherever he lands
Eeeeeehhhhh
If he’d of left the Wings a year or two ago, I think he’d get calls. After the last two seasons, I think his reputation has soured quite a bit. There’s a good sized pool of candidates available this year too, so I’ll honestly be surprised if anyone picks him up as head coach during the off-season.
But hey, with the amount of teams in the market for new coaches, maybe he’ll get lucky.