Detroit Red Wings: Dan Bylsma Waiting in The Wings
By Bob Heyrman
The Detroit Red Wings brought in Dan Bylsma to be an assistant coach to Jeff Blashill for this up and coming season. Detroit struggled in all fazes of the game last year. Bylsma is expected to rescue a bleak Power Play.
The Detroit Red Wings brass will welcome Dan Bylsma with open arms. A very nice resume anchored by a Stanley Cup victory over the Red Wings in 2009 as the head coach of the Pittsburg Penguins. Since then Bylsma hasn’t quite had the same success. Last season was Bylsma’s 2nd of a 5-year contract as the head coach of the Buffalo Sabres. Buffalo decided to cut ties with Bylsma making him open for business, and the Wings came calling.
Jeff Blashill hasn’t exactly been lighting the world on fire with his coaching ability. Mike Babcock as he raced out the door explained he was leaving us in great hands. Bab’s friend Jeff Blashill would keep the ship afloat. Looking back now, I see what Mike Babcock saw when he was sprinting out the door, heading down the 401 to Toronto. A boat lost at sea, taking on water. It’s a rebuild that will need to take some patience.
Dan Bylsma with his resume automatically becomes one of the highest regarded assistants league-wide. This brings Detroit into an interesting situation moving forward. Jeff Blashill will be looking over his shoulder everytime things are going a little south. Looking down the bench at Bylsma every time Detroit has a little losing streak going.
The Detroit Red Wings spun the signing of Bylsma as if Blashill himself signed him. Granted they have coached together in the past for Hockey USA, but still, would Blashill dare bring a guy of Bylsma’s stature on board alone?
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Ken Holland had as much to do with this signing as anyone else. Ken Holland has created himself a scapegoat. If things get ugly during the season, it’s so easy now for Holland to relieve Blashill of his duties and promote a former Stanley Cup champion as his head coach.
Although we hope things don’t go that route, you can never overlook that situation. Jeff Blashill is entering the last year of his contract, and it’s a big year to prove he deserves an extension. Often Blashill elects to protect his young players in certain situations. It’s time to take the reins off the younger players and see what the franchise has moving forward.
It’s not Jeff Blashill’s fault he has to play Jonathan Ericsson or Niklas Kronwall 18 minutes a night more times than not. Blashill isn’t to blame for Danny DeKeyser‘s up and down performances. Or Jimmy Howard‘s struggles in goal. What Blashill is to blame is playing Andreas Athanasiou & Martin Frk 8-10 minutes some nights and Justin Abdelkader & Darren Helm 17.
More Athanasiou than Frk but how can Frk just be a Power Play player and expect to get into the flow of the game or develop the skills the coaching staff consider him lacking? Athanasiou should be playing more regular minutes on a nightly basis. It seems when Athanasiou is on the ice he’s getting a break more times than not. He has breakaway speed from anywhere on the ice, more consistent minutes would lead to more scoring chances. Something this team lacks mightily.
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Detroit last season ranked according to NHL.com 22nd on the Power Play. 23rd on the Penalty Kill. 28th in total offense. Regardless of Blashill keeping an eye on his potential successor, Detroit needs to show improvement in these areas in hopes of a successful rebuild.