Derek Lalonde was hired as the head coach of the Detroit Red Wings in the offseason prior to the 2022-23 season after finishing his third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final as assistant coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning. When Detroit fired Jeff Blashill, we waited a long time to learn who the next coach would be.
This was in part because the Tampa Bay Lightning were in the midst of their cup run, and GM Steve Yzerman could not complete the hiring process until that was over. Among the other names associated with the position were Sergei Fedorov, re-hiring Mike Babcock, and Tampa’s other assistant coach, Jeff Halpern. Barry Trotz was also available.
Although Barry Trotz had the best resume, I see him as a coach to come in and get a team on the brink over the top, like he did in Washington. The Red Wings were not in that position, so Trotz wasn’t a great choice for that reason. The Red Wings were in the process of drafting and developing rookies. Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond had just completed their rookie seasons; the following season would see Jonatan Berggren and Elmer Soderblom play significant minutes, Marco Kasper and Simon Edvinsson made their NHL debuts, and the organization was still accumulating draft picks. It made sense to hire a first-time head coach. They could all learn and grow together as a team.
Before Derek Lalonde was hired, the Detroit Red Wings recorded 74 points.
In Lalonde's first year, he set out to reform the defensive structure. Citing the team's goals against average is the biggest area of importance. He succeeded in doing so, cutting the team's goals from 310 (3.78 per game) to 275 (3.35 per game). The defensive game, while still having its occasional lapses, was much improved, even with less-than-stellar goaltending. The improved defense was reflected in the standings, finishing the season with 80 points.
Going into his second year, it was clear that improved goal-scoring was what was required to take the next step. He succeeded again by improving the goals for from 237 (2.89 per game) to 275 (3.35 per game). It was reflected once again in the standings, finishing with 91 points yet falling just short of the Red Wing's first playoff berth since 2016 due to a horrid 10-game losing streak on the heels of another injury to captain Dylan Larkin. The team looked a world apart from where they were just two short seasons before.
At the current pace, Derek Lalonde will earn his 100th win in early February, right before the league pauses to play the Four Nations tournament. Any talks about Lalonde’s removal from the Red Wings is unwarranted. All I need Derek Lalonde to do is see that the core players are getting better. That is exactly what is happening.
As long as they are improving, there is no need to make a coaching change. Both Seider and Raymond look like they have taken huge strides over the summer. Their confidence levels are as high as I’ve ever seen them, which should lead to more productivity from both. Edvinsson joined the team this year, and it looks like Kasper might be sticking around as well. I expect to see growth in those two players this season, the same as we did with the others.
The Detroit Red Wings do not have a coaching problem. Even if we assume there is a head coaching position available in Detroit, it is unclear who would be the right coach to fill that position. Derek Lalonde is still the right man for the job.