New head coach type for Detroit Red Wings

After a bumpy season, the Detroit Red Wings demand a new head coach as soon as possible. Here's the type of coach the Detroit Red Wings need and why.

2017 NHL Draft - Round One
2017 NHL Draft - Round One | Bruce Bennett/GettyImages

The rebound the Detroit Red Wings showed against the Toronto Maple Leafs hopefully gives them more confidence going forward. 

For me and many other fans, it might be a bit too little too late.

Unless the Detroit Red Wings have a miraculous turnaround, head coach Derek Lalonde will likely not return behind the bench next season for the team. General manager, Steve Yzerman, has not addressed Lalonde’s potential extension or being relieved of his duties (and likely will not until after the announcement is made officially after the season is over for the Detroit Red Wings). Maybe I’m just wishful thinking, but who knows?

If the Detroit Red Wings are on the hunt for a new head coach, there are a variety of models they can look to for a possible replacement. 



Even if my desires aren’t a concern for the Detroit Red Wings, I have a fun time thinking of what type of coach the Detroit Red Wings should find for the 2025-26 season and beyond.

Detroit Red Wings have struggled in these key areas

Before we get into the meat and potatoes, I think it’s important to identify areas of concern for the Detroit Red Wings and why they have taken on more water this season than they can handle.

Although the Detroit Red Wings don’t have a Stanley Cup-winning roster or even a playoff-caliber team, there’s no reason the Detroit Red Wings cannot have more depth scoring, the penalty kill, and more consistent play. There are many other troubles plaguing the Detroit Red Wings, but those three aspects are the biggest areas of improvement that are needed.

It’s funny, we brought in J.T. Compher and Tyler Motte to help with the penalty kill, which there is plenty of blame to share on our horrendous penalty kill (everyone is at fault from Yzerman down to the last guy picked to help on the penalty kill). These depth players that were added, along with previously two-way boasted about forwards, have led to spots being taken for more defensive play, while the offense went to the backburner of the list. Those two names that I mentioned above were merely pointing out the flawed decision-making of management. 

There could be plenty of blame handed out to the defensive coach Bob Boughner who should at least have middle of the pack penalty killing abilities (in terms of all of the National Hockey League (NHL)), yet the Detroit Red Wings are one of the worst at killing penalties. Whether it’s a poor system, players not being in roles they’re comfortable in, or players not buying into what Boughner is selling it is clear that things are not and have not been working. Why it has been allowed to proceed this far into the season without being addressed is something I will not ever have an answer for, but I can only hope for a brighter tomorrow.

The defensive coach and system need an overhaul, whether Lalonde or Boughner is at the most fault I couldn’t care less. Neither is fulfilling his duties and if I did as poorly at my day job as they do on the penalty kill, I would have been relieved of my duties long ago. Tenure in the league and respect be darned. It would be nice if I could fail at my job so desperately and have their kind of job security (especially in a league where coaches are fired for seemingly sneezing in the wrong direction).

As for the depth scoring, it was not really a concern. 



I think the team hoped that Jonatan Berggren would score a bit more, but throughout his entire career, he has never been a shooter. If anyone had expectations of him changing that overnight (or between seasons), then the expectations were the problem. 

Berggren is a playmaker. As much as I would love for him to be a goalscorer (and I know he’s capable of such feats), it’s not him. That’s okay. The part I find the funniest is using these incorrect expectations on a young player, and then becoming upset or disappointed in him when he doesn’t measure up to someone’s misguided expectations.

He has worked on his one-on-one and board battles, as requested by everyone from here to Timbuktu, but that wasn’t good enough for him to see regular playing time with a shooter. 

Berggren may not have earned his spot in the top six, but with the lack of scoring on any line, it would have been nice to see Berggren have a chance with someone like Patrick Kane or Lucas Raymond who are great shooters. In fact, I’m dying to see Berggren and Kane play together, but doubt it happens with the lack of defense either of these players bring to the table. 

The Detroit Red Wings haven’t played consistently well all season. They have spurts where they put together good shifts, effective periods, but they can’t string together several games where they are convincing me that they are more than just a disappointment.

Here is the type of coach the Detroit Red Wings need starting next season

The biggest need in a coach is confidence. 

Lalonde crumbles like an over-baked cookie even with 20 minutes left in a game. While I understand the Detroit Red Wings haven’t found their A-game all season, to write them off so early in games is disappointing to hear from someone who is leading the team. How is a team supposed to have confidence in themselves if their coach doesn’t? 

If their head coach is able to have and maintain a calm, confident mindset when being around and speaking about his team, it would do wonders for the team’s mental psyche. 

The new coach does not necessarily need tenure, but it may help to bring stability to the role and team. 

Also, the new coach needs to be personable with the players to build rapport to the point that everyone buys into their roles on the team and their expectations. Or, he must have the respect of everyone (meaning, he needs to have won and won a lot—i.e. many Stanley Cups), so that players buy into what he’s selling because of his track record. 

The Detroit Red Wings have the personnel to play a competitive game each night against any team in the NHL. This success is only attainable if everyone works in their respective roles. 

It’s possible there is a lack of interest in the system the Detroit Red Wings are attempting to run. Whether it’s the abilities of players or a will thing, it’s important to find what works for everyone, regardless of why the system isn’t working currently. Finding a more appropriate system could work.

The Detroit Red Wings emphasize dumping and chasing the puck into the offensive zone. The problem with this system is that they aren’t great at dumping (I’m not sure if they’re just flinging pucks willy-nilly or if there’s a rhyme and rhythm to the dump and the guy who is meant to be chasing doesn’t) or why guys don’t move their feet quickly to chase the puck. However, more of than not it seems like one or two guys attempt to create offense, while the other three hang back to see what happens. Only joining the offensive zone when the two lone scouts gain possession of the puck. 

This idea could work if we have guys who are effective at taking on multiple players at once and coming away with the puck. Instead, we have players who either don’t have the capabilities of out-hustling their opponents or don’t want to outwork them more often than not. 

Another system the Detroit Red Wings could try is a puck possession game. Guys like Kane or Vladimir Tarasenko seem to prefer this game style (as do fans). However, I’m not sure the Detroit Red Wings have enough puck carriers to make this work but maybe they do. Larkin, Michael Rasmussen, Simon Edvinsson, Joseph Veleno, Marco Kasper, Motte, Berggren, Jeff Petry, among others have shown shades of transporting the puck up the ice decently enough. A handful of them are decent with passing, as well. If these aspects of their games are nurtured, then maybe the team could get by with a puck-possession game.

A new head coach might be able to find a better system than the two listed or combine them to create something that works for more players in the Detroit Red Wings lineup. Either someone who has a formula that already works or a coach who is willing to be flexible with his system. It’s not something that should be rigid but offers fluidity that players can use with their signature twists on the system to create magic on the ice. 

As one of my favorite bosses used to say, some managers attempt to mold their teams around them. The good ones are able to mold their styles around their team.

It’s clear to me that the first option isn’t working, so we need someone capable of the second. I don’t see the second being possible with Lalonde’s history with his rigid, inflexible system that continues to plague the team. 

These characteristics are all demanded in the new head coach of the Detroit Red Wings. Above all else, though, I genuinely hope the Detroit Red Wings get someone who just believes in them because it’s the least that a head coach can do for his (or her) team.

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