By Jordan Long
The Detroit Red Wings are going to miss the NHL playoffs for the 3rd straight season. They stand at a disappointing 32-38-10 for 74 points. Even though it has been a tough season for them, the front office decided to give Head Coach Jeff Blashill a 2-year extension. Blashill’s contract was set to expire at the end of the regular season.
Blashill took over the Detroit Red Wings in the 2015 offseason. This was after the Red Wings failed to reach a new contract with Mike Babcock following the 2015 NHL season. In his first year, Blashill helped the Red Wings keep their playoff streak of 25 straight playoff appearances with a record of 41-30-11. That streak came to a halt the next season. The Red Wings finished at 33-36-13 missing the playoffs by 16 points. Blashill’s record with the Red Wings is an unimpressive 136-143-47 or a winning percentage of .489.
Detroit felt they had to keep him. The results aren’t there this year but the team is playing competitively regardless of the record. That says a lot about the way he coaches.
According to ESPN, General Manager Ken Holland said, “Jeff has done a tremendous job developing our young talent as we continue to rebuild our organization. Our young players have made significant strides during his time as head coach and are playing important minutes in key situations. As we continue to build toward the future, we have the utmost confidence that Jeff is the coach best suited to help our prospects become impactful NHL players.”
The Red Wings could have let Blashill walk after 3 disappointing years. They decided not to. Detroit hopes Blashill will turn the Red Wings back into a winner again. It might take some time. They are a young team but will only improve their game. Blashill hopes to have better results in the next 2 years. If not, the Red Wings could fire him or let him go before his contract is up. n
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