Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill appeared on Arthur J. Regner’s “Red and White Authority” podcast on Tuesday…
And Dana Wakiji posted some of the highlights of Blashill’s interview this morning:
The Detroit Red Wings will be a significantly different team than the one fans saw in 2017-18.
Coach Jeff Blashill made that clear during his most recent appearance on the Red and White Authority podcast with DetroitRedWings.com’s Art Regner Tuesday.
There will be younger players likely to make the team but current players could also find themselves in different roles than in past seasons.
“We have a wide open opportunity to make our hockey team without question,” Blashill said on the Red and White Authority. “I think there’s less sure bets in terms of guys being cemented in certain spots in the lineup. Why? Because we haven’t been good enough for two years. It’s hard to be cemented in spots in the lineup when we haven’t been good enough. Maybe you’ve played first or second line, it doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to be first or second line next year. Maybe you’ve been a power play guy, it doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to be a power play guy next year.
“That means if other guys come in and are better than the guys we have, they’re going to play – more than ever before, and in greater numbers than ever before. Now you have to earn those spots, you have to come in and be great. I’ve told a lot of the young guys, I would love for that. But again, you got to do the work. So I think it’s a wide open roster more than ever before.”
Continued, and I appreciate Blashill’s enthusiasm for the youth movement, but the Red Wings’ contractual obligations suggest that we won’t see much change on the roster for the upcoming season.
Some of this stuff is great to hear from Blash to me. Hopefully actions follow unlike previous years. Really hoping kids get every chance possible. My question is defense? I feel that’s where we need an influx the most. Question is how do they make the room? KH gonna be able to swindle some other teams to take some d off their hands? This summer could be an exciting one. *crosses fingers*
I don’t see much roster change, we have too many forwards locked up as is. Only real change unless a trade or 2 occur is that we will have a new back up, no Tatar and maybe a kid or two (Ras etc). Defence is bogged down with 5-6 types and they want to resign Green.
So maybe Bash shuffles Abby and Helm to fourth line and off PP, ok good.. but Holland still has to start moving some of the hasbeens or neverwas players for the rebuild to truly start.
lol, meant to type Blash and I think it corrected to Bash..
Giggle.
So the first paragraph talking about a wide open competition and no one being cemented is great. But it should have been this was previously, and anything said prior to about an open competition is false. This sucks.
But the second paragraph about the young guys earning it is more the company line.
But if we are finally to the point where it really is a competition, and there is no cement, then hallelujah. I’ll try to give the whole thing a listen tonight.
Unfortunately the changes probably won’t happen. The lack of offense comes from the putrid defensive transition game, imo. Kronwall and Ericsson will still be on the team (and in the nightly lineup) and they are very poor at moving the puck at this point of their careers. If kronwall was our 7th and Ericsson were to be moved out D could be
Green, ddk
Hronek Daley
Hicketts jensen
The defense wouldn’t be strong defensively but would actually be a threat to break the puck out of our zone.
This is the way I see the team shaping up for next season
Forwards
1-3 strong maybe: Larkin, Mantha
1-3 weak maybe: L’Bert, AA
1-3 outside chance: Frk, Svech, Abbey
4-6 for almost sure: Z, Gus
4-6 strong maybe: l’Bert, Razzy, Svech, AA
4-6 Weak maybe: Frk, Abbey, Puempel
7-9 for almost sure: Nelsen, Helm, Abbey
7-9 strong maybe: Razzy, Svech, Puempel
7-9 Weak maybe: Frk, Glendening, AA
10-12 for almost sure: Glendening
10-12 strong maybe: Frk, Puempel, Turgeon, Helm, Abbey
10-12 Weak maybe: Wit, Holmstrom, Miller (ha!)
Puempel is the guy I’d like to see added to the roster. He might be a diamond in the rough. He was nearly a point per game in GR. Maybe he gets paired with Frk/Svech and AA as a scoring line.
I could really see Detroit employing lines 1, 2, 3a – Defensive, 3b – offensive.
Defensively I’d like to see XO, Jensen and Green all gone.
DDk and Daily
Kronner/Hronek
Ericsson/Sulak
Sulak needs to prove himself and Detroit needs to know if he has what it takes to make it in the NHL. Putting him on the 3rd pair will force him to play more defense then he has been asked to do. If he can’t then down to GR he goes and Hicketts gets a better chance. There’s enough guys in GR to be #7 on this team.
Why I like Hicketts at #7 is because he replaces whomever is injured or needs a rest. His drive will make him successful plugging in anywhere. He will be like Vinny Johnson – the Spark Plug. [and I’m dated]
Cholo will likely be in GR to season a little. He probably gets a call up for a few weeks unless we see Kronner go on LTIR.
I’ll listen to it in the morning. Regarding the quotes posted, I’ll believe it when I see it. Talk is cheap.
holland/blashill hype train. Nothing will change, this is nothing but some propaganda.
Si!