The Detroit Red Wings agreed to a contract extension with coach Jeff Blashill, the team announced Tuesday.
Blashill, 47, is in his 10th season with the organization and sixth as head coach of the Red Wings. He joined the franchise as an assistant coach in 2011-12 before spending three seasons coaching the American Hockey League's Grand Rapids Griffins from 2012-15.
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Under Blashill, the Red Wings have gone 172-221-62 in his six years at the helm. Detroit finished the 2020-21 season at 19-27-10 and seventh in the Central Division.
Red Wings executive vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman also announced on Tuesday that assistant coach Dan Bylsma will not return to the team next season.
Why extend Blashill?
Max Bultman, Red Wings beat writer: After a miserable 2019-20 season, the Red Wings took a step forward in 2021, both in the standings and in terms of their play. Their defense, in particular, was improved, and it was accompanied by a resilience that kept the Red Wings much more competitive this season.
Detroit's young players, including Filip Zadina and Michael Rasmussen, made strides developmentally as well. That said, Detroit's offense did not make measurable improvement in 2021, with multiple top players (including Zadina, Dylan Larkin and the since-traded Anthony Mantha) experiencing drop-offs in scoring.
The Red Wings' ability to generate offense stands as a central question entering the offseason, especially with Bylsma, who was in charge of the power play, departing the organization. The length of Blashill's extension has not yet been announced.
What can the organization do to help him?
Bultman: Maligned as Blashill has been as Red Wings coach, his tenure has encompassed a full-scale teardown by the organization. Of the team's top 11 scorers in his first season, only two (Larkin and Darren Helm) remain with the organization, due to retirements, trades and buyouts.
So the best thing the Red Wings could do to help Blashill, as an individual, is something they likely will not, at least not en masse: Bring in an influx of win-now NHL talent via free agency and trades. Instead, the organization's direction (and best interests) rely more on developing young players from within, meaning Blashill will again be tasked with teaching and bringing along the Red Wings' young players.
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With several pending free agents, Detroit could be positioned to add some veteran help on the free-agent market, though, and after Bylsma's departure, a power-play savvy assistant coach looks like an absolute must to improve that facet of the game.
(Photo: Roy K. Miller / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)