Detroit Red Wings news: Head Coach Jeff Blashill given contract extension

Detroit Red Wings news kicks off the offseason with an announcement from General Manager (GM) Steve Yzerman. The Red Wings have announced that head coach Jeff Blashill has been given a contract extension after finishing his sixth season as the team’s head coach.

Yzerman decided to announce the new Detroit Red Wings news regarding Blashill soon after the 2020-21 NHL season ended for the team. The focus has clearly been shifted to offseason mode, and the team is starting to address areas of need.

Blashill has been with the organization since the 2015-16 season, with this past season being his sixth as a coach in the NHL. Fans know Blashill’s backstory of coaching with the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP) as well as coaching at the collegiate level.

However, in his time with the Red Wings, he has had to deal with a tough rebuild that has taken a toll on any of the players who are seeing it through. Blashill’s return may not be the most welcome from the fanbase, but it seems like he might be kept around as the stopgap.

Steve Yzerman announced the latest Detroit Red Wings news of extending Jeff Blashill.

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The Red Wings finished 2020-21 with a 19-27-10 record over the 56-game season.

That being said, Blashill’s career coaching record stands at 172-221-62, which equates to a .446 winning percentage.

Whether you are a fan who likes Blashill’s return or a fan who is ready to riot, the expectation should be that he is only going to be here for another year or two to see the rebuild through.

The hope is that the Red Wings rebuild will over or turning a major corner after the next two seasons.

With Blashill at the helm, who knows. There have been times where it seems like Blashill is making good decisions to help the younger guys get into good learning spots and playing in roles to develop.

Meanwhile, there are times where it seems like Blashill is just guessing and writing names in any random order on the line charts. The reality is, the next couple of seasons are still likely going to be losing seasons, with the Red Wings being mostly a dumpster fire.

If the Red Wings can luck into a mediocre season, it should be celebrated. The team will start climbing back to the .500 mark under Blashill, but he is going to serve as more of a bridge coach until the team gets back to a time of winning.

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For those punching the air about Blashill’s extension, just know that when the team starts winning again, it is unlikely that he is behind the bench.

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