What is Steve Yzerman waiting for? Why is Jeff Blashill still employed?

[The Panther]

I don't really follow the Wings these days, but I'm looking at the recent stats. So, 4 seasons in a row (soon to be 5) of no playoffs, and what appears to be a 2nd season in a row of embarrassing futility. Half a decade of failure.

My question is: Do fans really think the "rebuild" should be continuing at the half-decade point?

So, yeah, I wouldn't think twice about axing the coach and just trying something else. Can't get worse.

 

[TheMule93]

I don't really follow the Wings these days, but I'm looking at the recent stats. So, 4 seasons in a row (soon to be 5) of no playoffs, and what appears to be a 2nd season in a row of embarrassing futility. Half a decade of failure.

My question is: Do fans really think the "rebuild" should be continuing at the half-decade point?

So, yeah, I wouldn't think twice about axing the coach and just trying something else. Can't get worse.

Didnt actually start rebuilding until 17-18 when Tatar was sold off, followed by Nyquist the following season

A few things pushed our rebuild timeline back. Holland and his scouting staff (Tyler Wright) were absolutely horrendous, and none of our first rounders from 2015, 2016, and 2017 are able to crack this all time awful roster. Secondly, we've dropped like 8 or 9 positions in the draft over the past 3 years due to losing every single lottery.

 

[DFC]

Yzerman will tank until he finds someone to build around. Remember when TB had Ben Bishop but still played Anders Lindback all the way to 3OA?

Blashill is Yzerman's new Lindback.

 

[stopclickbait]

i dont expect to win, but im genuinely worried that all of our players look worse than they did in years past. Larkin, Mantha, and Hronek in particular. Need a new voice in the locker room. Dont want Blashill anywhere close to Raymond/Seider/Berggren else they might be ruined too.

Blashill isn’t exactly doing any favours for those players this year.

The carousel of line combos for mantha and Larkin have been comical. Just put them back together for the rest of the year with Ryan and have a capable NHL line. Just seems like Blashill is pissing them off on purpose.

dekeyser starting PP1 over Hronek was a joke too. Hronek is there best PP D by far.

sure firing Blashill won’t make the team make the playoffs but having a coach putting players in spots to succeed would be best for long term.

 

[cudi]

I dont watch a lot of Wings games, but let me ask the fans:

Do you see progression, or regression with the majority of the young players you hope will be your core?

Expectations for the team in the standings is one thing. The development of young players is a whole other issue.

If the young guys are taking obvious steps forward then there's probably no issue with coaching right now.

If they're stagnating? Likely need to get him out of there and try and get things back on the rails.

 

[Cursed Lemon]

THIS GUY WHOSE TEAM HE BUILT JUST WON A CUP DOESN'T KNOW WHAT HE'S DOING

 

[Kranix]

Blashill has a relationship with all these young players, and when the time is right Stevie will fire Blashill, and with their daddy gone it will shake them up and they will take the next step. Like when Patty Kane cried when Chi axed Denis Savard and then they won the cup.

 

[BruinsBtn]

It's a tank job

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

I dont watch a lot of Wings games, but let me ask the fans:

Do you see progression, or regression with the majority of the young players you hope will be your core?

Expectations for the team in the standings is one thing. The development of young players is a whole other issue.

If the young guys are taking obvious steps forward then there's probably no issue with coaching right now.

If they're stagnating? Likely need to get him out of there and try and get things back on the rails.

They look worse, that is really why it is time. The guys we need to be playing okay even while we lose are really struggling. We are not playing younger players in bigger roles, it is just sort of a directionless tank... I am at the point where I am concerned, it is hard not to be, they are really bad and now some of the younger guys are kind of regressing, the losing seems to be getting to them, I mean they are human.

I said last night, this is a fragile team. They have played better defensively five on five by analytics they are so bad on special teams, just brutal. Time to change something.

 

[nbwingsfan]

Because when Detroit intentionally ices a roster of replacement-level players and has them coached by a tank commander, it's not "tanking" and the draft rules will be changed to help them secure a top pick, duh

Ah yes, because if there's one thing the NHL is knowm for, its helping the Wings get better draft picks

 

[nbwingsfan]

I’m speaking from a complete outside POV.

What more could Wings fans expect this year? You ice one of the worst teams in the NHL. I’m confused what a coach is supposed to do with that?

Its more the consistent regression or stagnation from or all of our young guys. You can tell he doesn't know how to coach at the NHL level

 

[nbwingsfan]

Intentional tanking is a dubious idea, it creates a losing environment and will haunt the team even after it actually gets good on paper. Players are not machines but real human beings whose confidence is going to get hit by several seasons of sucking as a team, they're not getting the experience on how to actually win games and what it takes to win them, and one cannot expect them to easily switch to a win mode just because they get two or three top draft picks to play with.

Even from my selfish (Czech) perspective, whenever I see the Wings play I cannot help but notice how unsufficiently developed the likes of Zadina and Hronek are being there: instead of being mentored by good veteran team mates and keep learning all the fine aspects of the game that successful players need to know, they're sort of being thrown into the deep waters, having to play on a historically bad team so that their franchise can get another high draft pick. This is just sad. A brutal, technocratic way of doing things and it's going to negatively affect their young core down the road.

You know basically every top NHL team has been ñear the bottom of the standings for a while right? Boston is the only one I can think that hasn't done it in a long time

 

[TruePowerSlave]

Its a weak draft, Detroit should tank next season as well.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

Its a weak draft, Detroit should tank next season as well.

I don't think they have a choice.

 

[McShogun99]

This is an incredibly dumb reason to keep a coach around

Our roster has improved this season with Stevies additions, it’s time to stop acting like he’s safe because our roster is so so bad

Wait until the off season. There will be more coaching options available and the team won’t have to pay an interim coach as well as the current coach.

 

[Ezekial]

We know the wings have a terrible roster. My biggest problem with Blashill is that he has a 100000 foot leash to anyone over 26 and a 2 inch leash for anyone under 25 who hasn't been an NHL regular. Givani Smith gave us some grit and he tries out there. Had 4 points in 8 games. We have 8 forwards that we ice regularly that have 3 or less points and all of them have played 10-17 games. Mathias Brome has been gifted opportunity after opportunity because Blashill says "he had a slow start in the SHL before he turned it on", well, 17 games in and the dude can't buy a point to save his f***ing life. Blashill is a shitty coach for us, our players aren't developing under him and playing guys like Filppula, Nilesen, Gagner, etc. is his bread and butter. Good way to lose every game in a low event hockey manner.

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

This is one of those "through the looking glass" moments. There's maybe 2 or 3 guys on the current Wings roster max who will be there the next time the Wings put a competitive team on he ice. I wonder in what world someone lives who thinks "gee why don't they get a better coach so they can finish 24th rather than 31st in the league".

 

[Ezekial]

This is one of those "through the looking glass" moments. There's maybe 2 or 3 guys on the current Wings roster max who will be there the next time the Wings put a competitive team on he ice. I wonder in what world someone lives who thinks "gee why don't they get a better coach so they can finish 24th rather than 31st in the league".

Maybe our reasons for wanting a new coach have nothing to do with the standings.

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

Maybe our reasons for wanting a new coach have nothing to do with the standings.

If you're worried about the team being boring, full of underwhelming spare part vets who give you little reason to feel excited..well then you're making a massive mistake. And that mistake is actually watching the games. That's masochism at its finest.

 

[Ezekial]

If you're worried about the team being boring, full of underwhelming spare part vets who give you little reason to feel excited..well then you're making a massive mistake. And that mistake is actually watching the games. That's masochism at its finest.

We're worried about our young players development.

 

[cudi]

They look worse, that is really why it is time. The guys we need to be playing okay even while we lose are really struggling. We are not playing younger players in bigger roles, it is just sort of a directionless tank... I am at the point where I am concerned, it is hard not to be, they are really bad and now some of the younger guys are kind of regressing, the losing seems to be getting to them, I mean they are human.

I said last night, this is a fragile team. They have played better defensively five on five by analytics they are so bad on special teams, just brutal. Time to change something.

This is the key thing.

To many people (often not even fans of said team) know that a rebuild is going on and only looks at wins and loses and tells fans to stop overreacting or what ever phrase they use.

Its a lot deeper than wins and loses lol. Its all about the development of young players you hope are core pieces for years to come. Of course its great to get production from vets, but thats just a bonus. Its all about helping the kids grow and get better. Last thing you want is it to become a Buffalo or Detroit Lions situation.

It doesn't sound like Blashill is accomplishing that. The longer you keep a coach in place that lost the room or can't coach up youngsters, it's time to part ways probably.

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

We're worried about our young players development.

NHL head coaches don't actually develop players. The NHL is a 'play or die" league. I've watched NHL practice sessions. There's little there that would make a young player better and whatever there is in actual 'training' is handled by the assistants. Young NHLers mostly get better via the time honored 'learning by doing' school.

And for what it's worth, there's very few young players on the Wings right now who I would consider essential pieces.

 

[AvroArrow]

He'll be fired around draft time, let them play out the season, get a top pick and fresh start with another blue chip prospect and new coach. A firing now would just complicate and frustrate things further.

 

[Ezekial]

NHL head coaches don't actually develop players. The NHL is a 'play or die" league. I've watched NHL practice sessions. There's little there that would make a young player better and whatever there is in actual 'training' is handled by the assistants. Young NHLers mostly get better via the time honored 'learning by doing' school.

And for what it's worth, there's very few young players on the Wings right now who I would consider essential pieces.

K