Steve Yzerman said he’d be quick about meeting with his coach, Jeff Blashill, after the Detroit Red Wings’ season ended. He did not say he’d be quick about deciding Blashill’s fate.
This shouldn’t surprise anyone. Yzerman can’t be rushed.
It served him well as a player, where he used his patience to set up his explosive attacks to the net. It has served him well as a general manager, where he built Tampa into a contender.
[ How to order new Free Press book commemorating Detroit Red Wings’ 1997 Stanley Cup title]
When he returned in Detroit as the Wings’ general manager two years ago, he said he wanted to “observe” during his first year. He knew he had a handful of unfavorable contracts that would take time to shed, and a handful of young(ish) players he’d need time to evaluate.
The same was true for his coach, who signed a two-year contract extension just before Yzerman was hired.
It’s been eight days since the Wings finished their season in Columbus. And It’s been eight days since Blashill coached his last game under contract.
The decision to renew it or not is an important one as Yzerman considers the next couple of seasons for the Wings. It’s also not an easy one.
For some, it may look like easy. Blashill has coached the Wings for six seasons and posted a winning record once — his first.
Here are the win totals in each of his six seasons: 41, 33, 30, 32, 17, 19. The last two numbers deserve the context. Because of the pandemic, the NHL cut its season by 11 games in 2020 and by 26 games in 2021.
Still, by record, the Wings were the worst team in the league last season. This year, they’re tied for the fifth-worst record (with the potential to fall if Vancouver wins any of its’ pandemic-stalled games this week). And if you are judging by record — or points — it’s hard to justify extending Blashill, especially in a league that fires more of its coaches than any other; Blashill is the third longest-tenured coach in the NHL.
A LOOK AHEAD: Here’s why Yzerman and the Wings will have a busy offseason
And yet?
Wins and losses aren’t the only way to measure a coach.
No, what Yzerman is trying to determine — and likely already has in some fashion — is whether Blashill is the right coach for the current roster, and for the roster Yzerman envisions the next couple of seasons.
What also matters is what other coaches are available and, more importantly, willing to take on a rebuilding job. It’s hardly a given that a proven, Stanley Cup-caliber coach would want the job right now.
Rod Brind’Amour is a name tossed around. And, sure, luring the Carolina Hurricanes’ coach — and former Michigan State star — whose current deal expires at season’s end would be an enticing hire. His record with the Hurricanes the last three seasons makes him a sizzling coaching commodity.
Yet the Hurricanes will surely want to re-sign him. It’s hard to imagine he wouldn’t want the same.
Not only because Carolina has a promising team that just won its division, but also because Brind’Amour won a Cup there (as a player); it’s his professional hockey home.
Convincing an up-and-comer to start from (almost) scratch in Detroit won’t be easy, though Yzerman may have the cachet to pull it off.
Again, the question is whether he thinks he must. Blashill was once a promising coaching prospect, too, with a Calder Cup win in the AHL in Grand Rapids. When he had decent talent, it was easy to see his worth.
I’d argue he’s shown his value this past season as well. In a difficult year, when he lost a half-dozen players to COVID protocol nearly out of the gate, Blashill’s team got better, particularly the last six weeks of the season, particularly on defense.
Is that enough?
Possibly.
A GOOD SEASON?: Why the Red Wings are taking pride in 2021: ‘Our group continuously got back up’
The offense is more than worrisome. And the power play? Well, it’s best to look away.
But remember, the Wings aren’t close to challenging for a Cup. What matters more is that they compete and keep developing.
A couple months ago, when the team looked overwhelmed, the choice seemed obvious. But it’s not an accident when a team that has nothing to play for reroutes its season anyway.
Blashill deserves credit for that, and for the improving play of Filip Zadina, Michael Rasmussen, Gustav Lindstrom and Filip Hronek. It’s fair to question why he hasn’t gotten a bit more from Dylan Larkin (pre-injury) and from Anthony Mantha before he was traded.
Yet after a hot start in Washington, the enigmatic forward isn’t lighting it up for the Capitals, either. Meanwhile, the player Yzerman received in return has looked promising. And while maybe it was the change in scenery that catapulted Jakub Vrana’s play, Blashill has had a hand in it as well.
How much?
These are the measurements Yzerman is trying to take, and evaluations he’s trying to make. So much of what a hockey coach does centers around lineups and matchups and combinations. The psychology of how it unfolds can be tricky.
Development happens between the games, too — maybe more with a roster like this one. And for the next season or two for the Wings, that’s what matters.
Sometimes, a fresh voice is critical and, in the end, Yzerman wouldn’t surprise anyone if he chose a clean sweep of the coaching staff. Just don’t forget what made him special as a player and as a general manager.
Yzerman played 14 seasons before he won his first Cup. He is, by nature, a grinder.
Obviously, he isn’t on the 14-year plan as a general manager. But he’s likely to measure progress in small increments.
That could help Blashill’s case to continue the development. We will find out soon enough if it does.
Contact Shawn Windsor: 313-222-6487 or swindsor@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @shawnwindsor.