It happened. For a while, it seemed like it might not happen. Ever since the Illich family bought the Detroit Red Wings, the number of Detroit Red Wings head coaches fired mid-season could be counted on one hand.
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) December 26, 2024
For the last three months, the Detroit Red Wings have done nothing but play lifeless, emotionless hockey with few shots, leading to few goals and few wins. This is something that should not happen when you have shooters like Alex DeBrincat, Lucas Raymond, Dylan Larkin, and Vladimir Tarasenko. These failures lead fans to blame Lalonde for his systems being the root of the problem.
Defensively, his systems worked at five-on-five and kept the team in the top half of the league in every five-on-five defensive stat. However, That seems to be all his systems are geared towards. Every offensive system he has put into place at five-on-five leads to non-stop passing, looking for the perfect shot, which, more times than not, isn't there.
This team was in desperate need of a change of some sort, and other than trying to move a player or two, a coaching change is usually the first step a general manager makes to turn his team around when their season isn't going the way they want. Insert Todd McLellan.
Todd McLellan brings a much-needed voice change to an uninspired Detroit Red Wings locker room
I'll come out and admit that McLellan wasn't my first choice to be head coach of the Detroit Red Wings. But, McLellan knows what it takes to be a good team and he's not afraid to bench players who aren't pulling their weight. He's also not afraid to let the team know when they're playing horribly.
In his career, he has coached for the San Jose Sharks (seven seasons, 2008-15), Edmonton Oilers (four seasons, 2015-19), and Los Angeles Kings (five seasons, 2019-24). During his tenure as a head coach, he has a record of 598-412-134 in the regular season and a 42-46 record in 88 playoff appearances. He may not have the greatest playoff record, but he's made deep runs with the Sharks and has made the playoffs with every team he's coached. Though for the Detroit Red Wings, they've gotta make it there first.
McLellan has also been an offense-first coach type of coach. In his time with the Los Angeles Kings, his teams have never gone below a two goals for per game (GF/G) average. Unfortunately, his penalty kills are typically below the NHL average. In his 15 full seasons as a head coach, he's had a league average or above penalty kill percentage in seven of them. His power play percentage, however, has been league average or above for nine of his 15 full seasons as a head coach.
At this point during my research of McLellan and his career, he's looked more so as the near-perfect coach for a rebuilding team with playoff aspirations. He's hard but fair, and his systems seem to be well-rounded. He should be able to get the top six cruising and even get the bottom six involved in play. Not to mention the potential of getting our blue-line offense back with a rejuvenated, dwindling power play. With guys like Mo Sider, Simon Edvinsson, Jeff Petry, and Erik Gustaffson on your blue line and your top six having some of the best shots in the league, your five-on-five offense should not be as bad as it is.
So, while I'm aware that it will still take a minor miracle for this team to get back into the playoff race, and this is a good start, it's important not to get out of hand and expect McLellan to make this team a playoff team right away. The same players are still there, and it's ultimately up to them to play the game. But thankfully, while I liked Lalonde and believe he still has a future as a coach in the NHL. McLellan's arrival has given the Detroit Red Wings fans a new sense of hope that their team will be, at the very least, enjoyable to watch.