We’ve already covered the change of Todd McLellan for Derek Lalonde, so let’s review the assistant head coach who is coming along for this bumpy ride.
The Detroit Red Wings welcomed veteran coach Trent Yawney to take over for defensive coach Bob Boughner.
Although I feel for each person who loses a job, I look to a former co-worker who shared words of wisdom with me. People don’t normally get fired, they fire themselves. Boughner is a veteran coach who found success at times with the Detroit Red Wings, but this season especially his penalty kill units have not been up to snuff. It was to the point that if Lalonde stayed on, I wanted to at least see a change for the defensive coach as the team wasn’t meeting the bare minimum.
Whether the systems, players, or coach were to blame, something wasn’t working. General manager Steve Yzerman gave Boughner and the rest of the Detroit Red Wings plenty of runway to rebound from their tragic downfall. However, that rebound hadn’t happened and this change was made soon enough that the Detroit Red Wings can course correct. Of course, my expectations are still within reason.
I don’t base my perspective on a team solely for wins and losses or how close they are to playoff contention. Instead, the process is what I focus on: the demeanor of players, and how are players developing as that’s where the Detroit Red Wings are in their rebuild.
While I have known about McLellan, I did not know Yawney. Though, I probably should have.
Trent Yawney has joined the Detroit Red Wings as an assistant coach
Since 1990-00, Yawney has coached in the National Hockey League (NHL) and American Hockey League (AHL).
As an assistant coach, he’s seemed to be a favorite of McLellan. They coached together for the San Jose Sharks from 2008-09 through 2010-2011, where he was named head coach of the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL. Then, he moved to the Norfolk Admirals of the AHL as a head coach. Since 2014-15, he was an assistant coach for the Anaheim Ducks, Edmonton Oilers, and Los Angeles Kings. During the 2018-19 season, both Yawney and McLellan coached for the Edmonton Oilers. Then, both coaches moved to the Los Angeles Kings.
It’s promising that both coaches have spent so much time together. In their time together, teams have had success, as Anthony Ibanez reviews in his article for McLellan. Part of McLellan’s success might be linked back to Yawney, but the only concern that I have to include is the question of penalty killing for the two coaches.
The Detroit Red Wings have struggled to kill off penalties.
I found this second video in this Tweet quite interesting:
McLellan mentioned how guys probably don’t want to kill penalties for the same guys taking needless penalties. He uses much more colorful language, but it’s a point that hits close to this team, I think.
They are an uninspired bunch who look like they’re clocking in to get a paycheck, clocking out, and going home. For 99.99% of the population, those actions are acceptable. However, the Detroit Red Wings do not have the personnel or luxuries of taking nights off or not caring.
The Detroit Red Wings players must buy into whatever it is that McLellan, and Yawney, are selling to be successful. It has to start with believing in the team again. Next, stop taking needless penalties (especially the lazy, silly, and idiotic penalties that happen more often than not for this team). Then, killing penalties with regularity when they do happen.
I’ll be interested to see how long it takes for the players to get adjusted to the new coach and system. As interesting as this change was, I’m curious to see the trickle down effect.
The Grand Rapids Griffins replicate the Detroit Red Wings system, so I wonder how things will change. Their head coach, Dan Watson, is a student of the game and has players buying everything he’s selling, so it shouldn’t be hard to switch gears.
Based on the consensus with the Twitterverse, McLellan and Yawney run a puck-possession team. A stark contrast to the dump and maybe chase if guys feel like it—or maybe they’ll just make a poor line change instead.
At any rate, this change hopefully has a huge impact on the team and the well-being of everyone involved. I see lots of people calling for additional personnel changes. It’s possible, though, I don’t know how likely. I think Yzerman and company will let things play out for a few weeks, if not months, and address things as they see fit. Right now, I think the coaching change is enough and style of play will better suit guys up and down the lineup.
From Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko to Jonatan Berggren and Marco Kasper, this style of play should help them. I’m only concerned about the back end and its success. Simon Edvinsson and Moritz Seider will be fine, everyone else I’m not so sure. I’m excited to find out, though.