News Article: Ken Holland: Detroit Red Wings to extend Jeff Blashill's deal
- Thread starter The Flying Octopus
- Start date
Run the Jewels
Make Detroit Great Again
I'm fine with this. My primary goal with him as coach has been to acquire elite talent near the top of the draft and he's positioned us well on that front. The number two goal is to develop our younger talent and we've had a nice influx of young players like Larkin, Athanasiou and Bertuzzi step into bigger roles. Ultimately it will be up to Yzerman as far as how long Blashill will coach here but I'm fine with extending him. When we are good again I'd say Gerard Gallant is probably my #1 choice but I'm fine with Blashill for the time being.
Larkin2AA
Registered User
I agree with all of this, and would say I am thinking the same. Blashill has had his hands tied for a few years now with his roster being atrocious. However, in that time he has done well with the younger talent on the team. I'd say if he isn't making us a playoff contender (i.e. at least 4-7 seed in the East) by 2020-21 season then we can begin talks of him being fired. The Wings are still rebuilding, they have some solid pieces on the team right now, but they still need acquired talent from the draft in the next two years, as well as FA talent. A lot of the continued rebuild falls on management, though, so Blashill will need some help.
GBFP
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- Sep 24, 2009
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He's in his last year right - could be a situation where you let Yzerman come in and survey things without having Blashill potentially hired away and then Steve needing to hire a coach right away. Nothing longer than a three year extension though.
I was hoping we'd poach DJ Smith from Babcock's Toronto staff - he's going to be a really good one, and soon.
I was hoping we'd poach DJ Smith from Babcock's Toronto staff - he's going to be a really good one, and soon.
ricky0034
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- Jun 8, 2010
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disappointing but sadly not unexpected
the Wings should trade Mantha this offseason because there's no way in hell he's ever living up to his potential under Blashill
the Wings should trade Mantha this offseason because there's no way in hell he's ever living up to his potential under Blashill
obey86
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- Jun 9, 2009
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Terrible coach coaching a bad roster IMO. Should be fired.
The Zermanator
In Yzerman We Trust
- Jan 21, 2013
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Don't mind this. Blashill's gotten a pretty raw deal here in terms of rosters since he started. Expecting any more success than he's had would be pretty unreasonable.
But he's done well everywhere else he's coached, including Grand Rapids and the US national team, so I'm optimistic about what he'll be able to do with the influx of high end talent he'll be getting in the near future. He'll finally have the players to employ the type of system he's seemed to want for years.
But he's done well everywhere else he's coached, including Grand Rapids and the US national team, so I'm optimistic about what he'll be able to do with the influx of high end talent he'll be getting in the near future. He'll finally have the players to employ the type of system he's seemed to want for years.
My guess is his new deal is two years, with one of those being a team option. He gets the semblance of security, while the club isn’t handcuffed into keeping him around because of a big contract.
The only name that is available that would spark any interest for most people would be Q, and to be frank, Q probably has a negative level of interest in joining the Red Wings in the current situation. A 60 year old with a history of strong teams on deep playoff runs doesn't scream "good option for rebuilding roster". So it comes down to the discussion of can we find a better option that's unsigned right now. If we cut Blashill loose, he would be the single most demanded coach outside of Q, in my opinion. People around the NHL and the hockey world in general have nothing but praise about him; generally speaking the only people who have any sort of dislike for Blashill are the fans of the Red Wings. The general fan base is just looking for a whipping post to take their frustrations out on because they are unable to comprehend that it's impossible to straddle the line of: love the playoff runs, but want the rebuild. Want the rebuild, but hate losing. Hate losing, but expect to stumble into talent. Expect to stumble into talent, but then avoid it playing to potential because it's not enough talent. It's a contradictory pool of bullshit.
Blashill took over this team at the single most inopportune time possible. Yeah, he might rely on vets in a way that isn't ideal, but look at the growth of the young players under his watch. Larkin went from a winger, to promising second line center, to what looks to be one of the best young first line centers in hockey. Mantha went from looking like JVR with all the tools and missing the toolbox, and he's starting to show more consistent signs of being an extremely talented power forward capable of scoring in bunches. Athanasiou looked like a complete thorn in the side player destined to be booted from the organization, and now he looks like he might actually be a key component to the offense moving forward. Bertuzzi was an extremely doubted draft pick at the pick he was selected who has done nothing but excel to the point where he could be the most influential young player on the roster not named Larkin.
Most importantly, the team actually looks like it is shifting towards being competitive; they are fast and they are fun. They are in almost every game, and they are doing it on the backs of the young core. At the end of the day, Blashill absolutely deserves the opportunity to see this process through with the full implementation of the young players brought into the organization under his watch. Once this team has converted from managerial strategy of a rebuild to competing for the playoffs, then we can have the discussion of whether or not he's the right guy to keep as head coach.
Blashill took over this team at the single most inopportune time possible. Yeah, he might rely on vets in a way that isn't ideal, but look at the growth of the young players under his watch. Larkin went from a winger, to promising second line center, to what looks to be one of the best young first line centers in hockey. Mantha went from looking like JVR with all the tools and missing the toolbox, and he's starting to show more consistent signs of being an extremely talented power forward capable of scoring in bunches. Athanasiou looked like a complete thorn in the side player destined to be booted from the organization, and now he looks like he might actually be a key component to the offense moving forward. Bertuzzi was an extremely doubted draft pick at the pick he was selected who has done nothing but excel to the point where he could be the most influential young player on the roster not named Larkin.
Most importantly, the team actually looks like it is shifting towards being competitive; they are fast and they are fun. They are in almost every game, and they are doing it on the backs of the young core. At the end of the day, Blashill absolutely deserves the opportunity to see this process through with the full implementation of the young players brought into the organization under his watch. Once this team has converted from managerial strategy of a rebuild to competing for the playoffs, then we can have the discussion of whether or not he's the right guy to keep as head coach.
TCNorthstars
Registered User
How do you know he is a terrible coach if all he has to work with is a terrible roster? Do you think another coach would get more out of our roster? The Wings young players are growing and progressing. That is the good that Blashill is doing.
GBFP
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- Sep 24, 2009
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Why would Blashill sign that? I guess there is only 31 jobs so you take the sure thing, but that would be a disrespectful as hell offer.
jkutswings
hot piss hockey
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To be fair, Blashill inherited a lousy roster, and most of the kids have done fairly well on his watch.
But he also has some glaring flaws that will need improving if he wants to stick around more than another year or two.
So I would hope this is a 3 year deal, where the last year is a club option, so he really has to prove himself this time around. Because if the drafting is nearly as good as we hope, he will be running out of excuses for not making the playoffs by the spring of 2021.
But he also has some glaring flaws that will need improving if he wants to stick around more than another year or two.
So I would hope this is a 3 year deal, where the last year is a club option, so he really has to prove himself this time around. Because if the drafting is nearly as good as we hope, he will be running out of excuses for not making the playoffs by the spring of 2021.
RabidBadger
Mazur detractors will look like dummies!
I'm good with this. For me, watching the current team is about development and compete level. I'd say Blash has done well in both aspects. I've had zero expectations for team success in any other facet with this roster.
obey86
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- Jun 9, 2009
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One can be a terrible coach and be coaching a terrible roster. The things are not mutually exclusive.
His player usage and lineup decisions are bottom tier - Dekeyser starting the overtime game a week ago or so when the Wings have Green and Jensen available is just one example of how much of an idiot he is.
DetroitRed
Crashes the Crease
I'm very skeptical that the way he coaches will ever bring a championship at the NHL level. Not that it's lost on me that the Wings are trying to tank: I do not blame Blashill for recent losing seasons.
ElysiumAB
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- Sep 12, 2013
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In what year of his NHL tenure will he start doing interviews in his real voice?
DetroitRed
Crashes the Crease
He has no real voice. That's Ken Holland in a secret sound booth remixing old Babcock soundbites. If you watch closely, his lips are out of sync.
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TCNorthstars
Registered User
So how many more wins would a "non-idiot" coach get the Wings? Do you disagree that our young players are progressing nicely under Blashill? Or do you think he has no affect on their development?
Fine I guess. Call it the devil that you know. The kids are playing better and the effort is there most nights. The bigger issue is the uncertainty in the GM chair. No coach who is an obvious upgrade over Blash is going to sign a contract under Holland with Stevie beating down the door for his job.
At this point, I'm fine with Blash coming back. I'm not a huge fan, his lineup decisions leave me scratching my head a lot, I think the biggest ones being how Zadina was used in his first NHL game against one of the top teams in the league and sending Cholowski down when he's still learning. He's done well with some in terms of young player development, others I'm not a huge fan of. I've never been a huge fan of how he gives vets the pass when they play terribly but will dog Mantha and Athanasiou in the media over a tepid performance. It'd be one thing if he was consistent but that's not what he is and that's not a good thing when you have some key young pieces coming up that absolutely need it.
As the team's turned over, gotten younger, and more talent is slowly sifted into place, he's been able to make his system look better. I didn't like how he couldn't adjust to a roster that wasn't suited to what he wanted to do, but that will (hopefully) be less of an issue going forward. It's also hard to not like how AA has finally came around, how Larkin has developed, etc. We're not going to unreservedly love any coach, all of them are going to do something that we're not going to be a fan of. I'm fine going forward, for now, with Blashill's faults.
FireBird71
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Lazlo Hollyfeld
The jersey ad still sucks
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So the headline of the article is that Holland said the Wings will extend Blashill, then the first line of the article points out that he never actually stated that?
Seems like good journalism.
Seems like good journalism.
lilidk
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- Mar 4, 2008
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I don't like Blashill , but if you bring good assistants it should help. Can we get someone from predators.They have a lot what this team needs. They play great defense, smart defense system.. can we get ex elite defenseman , not name Chelios, to be assistant, who can retrain our defense?
