TSN’s Insider Trading video isn’t embeddable tonight, but TSN has posted a transcript of Darren Dreger’s take on Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde’s future. As we already know, it hinges upon how well the Red Wings play over the course of the remainder of their home stand:
Thanksgiving is often a catalyst for change in the NHL. Jim Montgomery out in Boston. Then he’s hired in St. Louis when Drew Bannister gets fired. Could the Wings be next to make a change behind the bench, Dregs?
Dreger: Yeah, they sure could. We know it’s a tough business, but Detroit needs to, wants to, and is counting on staying in the playoff mix. They are only three points out of a wild card spot, but they’ve got a crucial three-game homestand happening this week. What happens if they go 1-for-3 or 0-for-3? Now, the upside is they could go 3-for-3 or win 2-of-3 and Derek Lalonde, who’s in the final year of his contract with the Detroit Red Wings, stays on the Red Wings’ bench. We know that Steve Yzerman is loyal to his coaches, but again, they have to remain competitive. So, if they have a good homestand, everything should be fine. If they don’t, that might force Yzerman to make a decision. The sense is that they would go with an interim internal candidate and then hope that a top coach eventually becomes available.
Continued with the aforementioned video; we’ve been talking about the concept that December 2nd is more or less the turn-the-ship-around deadline for the Wings for almost a month now. It’s just the truth.
