The Detroit Red Wings 5-4 loss to Columbus only muddled things a bit more as the Red Wings enter their third offseason with Steve Yzerman running the show.
The third one may in fact be the charm that sees a pivot for the beginning of the end of the rebuild’s dog days. With the Red Wings ending the season at 19-27-10, there was improvement and also a clearer understanding of what Yzerman plans to do with this team. From the Anthony Mantha trade to many of the personnel decisions throughout the season, the Red Wings are now truly the Captain’s team.
Here are a handful of options that Yzerman will have this offseason:
A decision on the future of Jeff Blashill
The six-year head coach heads into the offseason without a contract but most signs point to Yzerman re-upping the bench boss he inherited. Blashill has been as ambiguous as ever when it comes to answering the question and Yzerman has only indicated that he’ll sit down and talk to him about it.
It’s been reported by many sources that Yzerman respects Blashill’s work, and it’s easy to see why. In spite of having a modest upgrade on the roster, Blashill improved the team enough that they’re far from a higher chance at a top 2 pick and players like Michael Rasmussen have seen significant gains this season. Of course, there’s arguments to the contrary that see regression from Dylan Larkin and baffling lineup decisions as reasons to move on.
Yzerman holds the cards close to the vest. But as with everything, he’ll do what’s best for the organization.