The Detroit Red Wings have announced that they have signed head coach Jeff Blashill to a two-year contract extension. This new deal will run him until the end of the 2020-2021 season.
Looks like the Red Wings are announcing a two-year contract extension for Jeff Blashill this week. https://t.co/gG7EBMCD63
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) March 30, 2019
Detroit Red Wings Extend Jeff Blashill
Blashill currently has a 134-143-47 record in four seasons with Detroit. He only made the playoffs in his first season 2015-16 after he took over for Mike Babcock. The 45-year-old won the Calder Cup in 2012-13 with the Grand Rapids Griffins and the Clark Cup with the Indianapolis Ice of the USHL.
The Detroit native has experience in taking young teams and developing players. He won at least one playoff series in every year with the Griffins. The Red Wings are a young team and the organization has a great youth system in Grand Rapids.
What it Means For the Future
There is a segment of the fan base that is not happy with this move. They feel general manager Ken Holland needs to evaluate the head coach position. Holland has one more year left on his current deal and some think he may be winding down his long reign in Hockeytown.
A name like Steve Yzerman is out there and he has success in building a powerhouse like the Tampa Bay Lightning. Yzerman will have no shortage of suitors, but the lure of coming home may let him wait out the rest of Holland’s deal.
This uncertainty could also doom Blashill because Yzerman may want to bring in his own coach. Blashill knows that he will have to start making a move up the standings if there will be a change behind the bench.
DETROIT, MI – NOVEMBER 30: Detroit Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill complains about a penalty with the referee during the Detroit Red Wings game versus the Montreal Canadiens on November 30, 2017, at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Steven King/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
