Detroit Red Wings: Roundtable Discussion of Jeff Blashill
By Bob Heyrman
Jeff Blashill has become a running topic of conversation in the City of Detroit, and specifically for Wings fans. It hasn’t exactly been all kind words lately either in regards to the Detroit Red Wings bench boss. In this segment, we complete a site round-table to discuss Blashill, his impact, and possible future with the club.
The Detroit Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill had significant shoes to fill when he was nominated to be the successor to Mike Babcock; he is still stuffing kleenex into the toe. The pair were friends; it was documented in one of those corny sit-down segments prior to Babcock zipping down the 401 straight to Toronto to take over the Leafs bench. The pair often shared dinner together to discuss strategy or just talk hockey.
During one of those last-ditched efforts, productions to keep Mike in town he sat with Ken Holland in front of the cameras and everything was kosher. The two smiled and joked, but any fan could read between the lines, Babs had Toronto on his mind.
Babs knew he had a fresh start looming; he had nearly an open checkbook with a tonne of young talent who would show up to the rink wide-eyed and eager to learn. He knew he had an opportunity to mold his team the way he wanted too with little to no resistance. SO he left. Take note Matthews fell into his lap; there was no guarantee they were going to win the lottery at the time of Mike’s decision. Babs did finish down in the bottom his first year in TO. On his way out the door, he said: “Detroit is in good hands under the guidance of Ken Holland and the newly appointed head coach Jeff Blashill at the reins.” I mean with all of their dinners, film sessions, etc. The two of them do run a very similar system of hockey. Blashill was looking for an opportunity and Babcock seen the direction of a depleted farm system.
The benefit of this was when Babs needed a specific player to be recalled to replace an injured Wings player, said player could be plugged right into the system and understand what role he was expected to fulfill.
The downfall; We have seen the same system cater to the same types of players for so many years now and with the lack of success in recent years, it is starting to deter many fans.
With Babcock leaving the Detroit Red Wings in a cloud of dust in walked Jeff Blashill. Now any coach who is about to take over for a great coach will have a large shadow to navigate through. When you add in the transition of a rebuild and the direction the franchise is headed it becomes a bit foggy. When you add in the contracts handed out by our general manager to aging veteran stars and the desire to claw with the tips of his fingernails at the edge of a cliff to hold onto the eighth and final playoff spot, the fog becomes dense. So dense you struggle to see past the tip of your nose.
SO, we ask the fellas their opinion on Jeff Blashill and potentially his future as the head coach of the Detroit Red Wings. I leave you to ponder one thing while you read the collaboration of thoughts from Octopus Thrower; Is Jeff Blashill entirely to blame for the current state of the Detroit Red Wings?