Yzerman Season-Ending Press Conference

[MBH]

Pretty obvious to me that Yzerman is planning another year with high lottery odds.
I get it.
I expected it, even with a good coach. But there's a huge difference between .400 and .275 hockey.

Other than us, only Ottawa was under .400.

 

[MBH]

I think the Blashill comments came off to me like someone who is aware of the public perception of Blashill, and doesn’t want to answer the reporters asking the same question over and over.

“Like I said what I said, and no matter how you phrase your question, the answer is going to stay the same. It’s what I said in February, it’s what I reiterated today. I don’t plan on making a change.”

Is there a little bit of open ended nature to how it was phrased? For sure, and I think if something incredible reveals itself, he will make the change. Like when Dantonio was telling everyone he was coming back to MSU and he believes in completing circles or whatever nonsense. And then all of the sudden, poof, MSU needs a new head coach.

I think we will get a sense of how comfortable Jeff is when he gets in front of these beat reporters. If he also seems awkward, then there might be legs.

He's not changing.

 

[ManwithNoIdentity]

Absolutely unbelievable

 

[Hen Kolland]

He's not changing.

And I think it’s probably reasonable and I’d probably do the same thing. Why am I going to cut a check for $300k to a guy to not coach the team, and then hire someone and pay them probably a couple million to be a likely bottom 5 team?

Like or dislike Blashill, it’s hard to not think that Yzerman isn’t, at the very least, being pragmatic and not throwing away money. Especially in a Covid world with lost revenue. Even if it’s not popular, it’s impossible to deny that it’s a reasonable business decision.

 

[Gniwder]

Yzerman also said he may have some say in Jeff's assistants going forward. Perhaps Lane Lambert somehow becomes one of Jeff's assistants.

I hope this means Disco Dan is gone, the PP sucks. Stevie would be better off coaching it himself, I heard he was pretty good at running one.

 

[MBH]

And I think it’s probably reasonable and I’d probably do the same thing. Why am I going to cut a check for $300k to a guy to not coach the team, and then hire someone and pay them probably a couple million to be a likely bottom 5 team?

Like or dislike Blashill, it’s hard to not think that Yzerman isn’t, at the very least, being pragmatic and not throwing away money. Especially in a Covid world with lost revenue. Even if it’s not popular, it’s impossible to deny that it’s a reasonable business decision.

yeah. I'm not going to spit in the face of my fans over $300,000.
By the way - the Wings can walk away from Blash, i thought?

 

[Hen Kolland]

yeah. I'm not going to spit in the face of my fans over $300,000.
By the way - the Wings can walk away from Blash, i thought?

They could walk away if they cut him a $300k buy out check, at least that’s what I’ve seen reported. And that decision has to be made within 7 days of the season, or his option year is considered picked up.

Or they can obviously fire him mid season and pay out his contract.

I think I’d let it ride this year. Expecting poor results regardless of the coach, save a little money, and make a change at the end of the contract. I don’t think there’s a chance at him being extended, but if they win Lafreniere and promote the youth from within and they don’t look like literal shit this year...maybe Yzerman really is that big of a believer and respects Blashill.

 

[ricky0034]

this to me is basically Yzerman's "Dan Cleary 3 year handshake deal" moment

I like some of the things he's done but some moves show such a glaring lack of judgment that they just make you doubt everything else afterwards

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

yeah. I'm not going to spit in the face of my fans over $300,000.
By the way - the Wings can walk away from Blash, i thought?

What is spitting in the face of your fans? Not firing a guy who did awful with a tremendously awful roster? Blashill is not why the Red Wings were as bad as they were. They had a dearth of talent... and the talent that they did have had one of a couple foibles. It either doesn't play well together OR it was hurt for large swaths of last year. When Mantha, Larkin, Bertuzzi were a line early in the year, they were playing really really well. Add DDK back for most of the year and the D is not nearly as bad. If Mantha doesn't get hurt for a decent chunk, they score better.

There is no coach in the world that was going to make this team better. So why are you wanting to rush to cut him at the cost of $300,000? There isn't a difference between a team being .275 and a team being .400-.450. Or if there is... it's health to a top 4D, health to a bona-fide top 6F and a goalie not absolutely falling apart to have damn near the record that an adult league goalie would have. None of those things are coaching. The Wings players were butt all year. Not that Blashill was an amazing field general but you shouldn't run a guy out of town for failing a Kobayashi Maru of a season.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

this to me is basically Yzerman's "Dan Cleary 3 year handshake deal" moment

I like some of the things he's done but some moves show such a glaring lack of judgment that they just make you doubt everything else afterwards

C'mon, this is nowhere near that.

Cleary was done when he got his handshake deal. And I say that as a big fan of Cleary. But his best years were behind him and his style of play had taken a physical toll.

This it keeping around a coach on a non-playoff team for another season of rebuilding.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

yeah. I'm not going to spit in the face of my fans over $300,000.
By the way - the Wings can walk away from Blash, i thought?

My understanding is if they don't pick up his option then they buy him out for 300k.

 

[raymond23]

So let’s say, hypothetically, we fire Blash and bring in someone new. What’s the goal for next season?

 

[Mlotek]

yeah. I'm not going to spit in the face of my fans over $300,000.
By the way - the Wings can walk away from Blash, i thought?

Yes they have 2 options.

"Fire him" and Pay him the rest of his coach contract which is 20-21 (full salary)
Elect to "release him" and pay him the 300k release clause.

In the NHL if a coach gets 'fired' they are still paid their entire contract unless they go work for another team.

The "release" clause is something special that Holland included in that contract with Blashill, its not a standard NHL thing.

 

[lilidk]

At least we going to have Capitan next season

 

[Mlotek]

At least we going to have Capitan next season

Youth Detroit Red Wings Henrik Zetterberg Fanatics Branded Red Home Breakaway Player Jersey

 

[Ghost of Ethan Hunt]

What is spitting in the face of your fans? Not firing a guy who did awful with a tremendously awful roster? Blashill is not why the Red Wings were as bad as they were. They had a dearth of talent... and the talent that they did have had one of a couple foibles. It either doesn't play well together OR it was hurt for large swaths of last year. When Mantha, Larkin, Bertuzzi were a line early in the year, they were playing really really well. Add DDK back for most of the year and the D is not nearly as bad. If Mantha doesn't get hurt for a decent chunk, they score better.

There is no coach in the world that was going to make this team better. So why are you wanting to rush to cut him at the cost of $300,000? There isn't a difference between a team being .275 and a team being .400-.450. Or if there is... it's health to a top 4D, health to a bona-fide top 6F and a goalie not absolutely falling apart to have damn near the record that an adult league goalie would have. None of those things are coaching. The Wings players were butt all year. Not that Blashill was an amazing field general but you shouldn't run a guy out of town for failing a Kobayashi Maru of a season.

Star Trek analogies in a hockey forum deserve bench bucks, or at least a gold sticker.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

So let’s say, hypothetically, we fire Blash and bring in someone new. What’s the goal for next season?

To hear a coach who doesn't sound like he's doing a Babcock impersonation when they're talking about why the Wings lost again?

 

[PullHard]

Keep Blashill around to be the fall guy for another season (or at least most of one)

Doesn't make sense to go out and get a big shiny new coach for millions when the roster is still 7/8s dogshit

 

[ManwithNoIdentity]

Keep Blashill around to be the fall guy for another season (or at least most of one)

Doesn't make sense to go out and get a big shiny new coach for millions when the roster is still 7/8s dogshit

So instead of going after someone of Gallants caliber we stick with proven NHL loser Blashill?

Not exactly a recipe for success, talented line up or not

 

[TheOtherOne]

Pretty obvious to me that Yzerman is planning another year with high lottery odds.
I get it.
I expected it, even with a good coach. But there's a huge difference between .400 and .275 hockey.

Other than us, only Ottawa was under .400.

No there isn't. Losing is losing.

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

So instead of going after someone of Gallants caliber we stick with proven NHL loser Blashill?

Not exactly a recipe for success, talented line up or not

How do you know we didn't go after Gallant, or Laviolette or Boudreau?

 

[ricky0034]

No there isn't. Losing is losing.

it really isn't

at a certain point you're so bad that the simple act of being that bad does actual damage to players development

people aren't gonna try very hard when you're losing by 4 goals every night,there's a very clear distinction there between that and losing by 2

 

[Hen Kolland]

So instead of going after someone of Gallants caliber we stick with proven NHL loser Blashill?

Not exactly a recipe for success, talented line up or not

So instead of giving Blashill a team the caliber of the Vegas team that Gallant last coached, you want to give Gallant a proven NHL loser Red Wings roster?

Not exactly a recipe for success, talented coach or not.

 

[TheOtherOne]

it really isn't

at a certain point you're so bad that the simple act of being that bad does actual damage to players development

people aren't gonna try very hard when you're losing by 4 goals every night,there's a very clear distinction there between that and losing by 2

Playing on a terrible team for too long probably can hurt a player's development. I'm on board there.

These guys have made it professionally, so they should overcome that. They should develop for themselves personally. They should develop for their next contract. They should develop for the hope of a Cup 5 years down the line.

Not everyone will. Some will lose motivation. But that risk ALREADY exists by being the last place team in the league. That's why we should try to get out of that position as soon as possible. If we stay a bottom-dweller for too long, our older talent is going to leave, and our younger talent is going to stop caring.

But here we're talking about being last place or even more last place. At that point it doesn't make a damn difference. When these guys already have to see their team at the bottom of the standings night in and night out, nobody should care whether they lose by a little or a lot. Or whether you tack on another 5 losses to an already hopeless season. Nobody in their right mind is focusing any mental energy on catching up to second-to-last. The only thing worth caring about at that point is individual development. You can play a good individual game in a 8-0 loss.

 

[TheOtherOne]

edit: sorry wrong button