Steve Yzerman to discuss Detroit Red Wings coaching job with Jeff Blashill at season's end
There will be news on Jeff Blashill’s status with the Detroit Red Wings within a month.
That was the message Monday from general manager Steve Yzerman.
“Jeff and I will sit down very quickly after the season and discuss that,” Yzerman said.
Blashill is in the last year of his contract. He was signed to an extension in March 2019, only a few weeks before Yzerman was named general manager. The Wings have struggled under Blashill — they are on pace to miss the playoffs for a fifth straight season — but Yzerman has in the past defended Blashill, noting the team is not competitive talent-wise.
This is Blashill’s sixth season as head coach. Entering Monday’s game at Carolina, he was 167-217-58. The Wings’ last game is scheduled for May 8.
Blashill and bench assistants Dan Bylsma and Doug Houda are all on expiring contracts. Yzerman may opt to clean house, but on the flip side, he seems to enjoy working with Blashill, and Blashill's salary $1.6 million is all the more reasonable, given the pandemic has greatly limited revenues for more than a year.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her book, The Big 50: The Detroit Red Wings is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Steve Yzerman to discuss Detroit Red Wings coaching job after season
