Final Considerations
Would Yzerman look at bringing in one of our favorite players from the Detroit Red Wings of the 90s and 2000s? Three candidates come to mind when we look at alumni that could come in to make an impact. This is considering watching Martin St. Louis start to turn the tables in a positive way in Montreal. His experience at the NHL level as a coach didn’t match the resumes of some of his counterparts but his success in the league and desire to prove others wrong catapulted him into having a great quarter of the season for Montreal. Alumni players to know: Sergei Fedorov, Igor Larionov, and Kris Draper.
Other notable free agent coaches to consider would be John Tortorella or Paul Maurice. Both are excellent coaches that can supply structure and have shown the ability to win. Or a fresh head coaching candidate could be hired like Tampa Bay assistants Jeff Halpern and Derek Lalonde, or St. Louis assistant Jim Montgomery, or Luke Richardson of Montreal. All have proven to be successful in the league in their roles.
Having a coach in place prior to the draft will be at the forefront of Steve Yzerman’s thoughts. He has proven that he can make the correct choice in hirings. His choice will be the right one.