#sorry this is a million years long. EEK! thanks rickie 😭

[eriecanal]

tea emoji. detroit red wings coaching

rubs hands together. Okay. OKAY!!

so first up i don't think we're changing head coaches this offseason. lalonde has one more year on his contract and i didn't hear anything in his end of season media availability that would imply he's out here tbh. it's rlly tough to evaluate a coach on a rebuilding team bc it's hard to know what's good progress, what's not enough, what's coaching, what's gming, etc. since the base expectation for the team isn't that it's GOOD it's hard to know when to be mad it isn't BETTER. and the fact that the red wings are essentially on track in their rebuild provides decent reasoning for why lalonde's position is fine.

however, i do think he's in a bit of a hot seat to improve significantly next season. i don't think the org was super happy with some aspects of this season that they might blame on coaching, esp post-deadline. and of course, there's only 1 year left on his contract. i'd expect a change if the wings don't make the playoffs next season, or even if they take a shitty path there and don't see some key improvements. especially on the defensive end -- our goals-against have barely improved year over year, despite the offense improving significantly and an nhl-experienced roster, and the org is obviously annoyed abt the shaky fundamentals the team has shown a LOT this season - bobbled pucks, lack of good coverage on defense, failed man on man, etc.. defense system failures. i think there are a lot of questions coming about his coaching if those things don't see significant improvement next year.

with that being said i think Boughner (defense-focused assistant coach) should be gone. as for who replaces him we shall see... i would love to see that as a position where some new blood (maybe from overseas 👀) makes its way into the nhl coaching circuit.

as for options...

idk what the length of larionov's contract is, but i don't think he's looking for a job in the coming season. if we assume he's on a 3 year contract though, after next year he could be deciding whether to stay in russia or try the american waters.

there's always the nhl coaching circuit but um. boring! also i just don't pay attention that closely to coaching stuff outside of my teams tbh. however i do think that after next year, a position with an original 6 team that's supposed to be entering a contending window and doesn't have media quiteeee as crazy as some could be a really enticing one for coaches... maybe enticing enough to draw a good one out of their job? idk! 🤞

and of course. the man himself. fedorov. so obviously he's out of a job rn, and the real ones (hockeytown discord and the detroit hockey rumor mill) are discussing whether he's gonna make the jump out of russia (again). unfortunately i don't think it's very likely BUT in my dreams (which should be real) he takes over for boughner this year as an assistant coach and then takes over the hc job when lalonde's contract is up at the end of next year. steve listen up rn...