By Damon Knight, Tribune Correspondent
The Detroit Red Wings are thirty games into the season, their record is 7-20-3 and they are the worst team in the NHL. They have the league’s lowest points per win value at 17. The NHL’s highest is 45, which is held by the Boston Bruins.
Detroit additionally ranks last in almost every single category known to man in hockey. (3.27) is what they are in goals-for per game, goals allowed per game is (3.39) and in penalty killing its (72.6%) which is last. This is the second-worst stretch Detroit has had in the past 20 years. Red Wings left winger Darren Helm said, “This is the toughest year I’ve been a part of,” he said. “We have to reset these next couple games, come to the rink a little bit more positive, upbeat. Try to have some fun. There’s not a lot of that going on right now but it’s a long season. We have to try to have some fun, win some games.”
The person that should be very worried about winning some games is head coach Jeff Blashill. Blashill, 45, has been tied to recent rumors about his job security as the head coach of the Detroit Red Wings. His record is 135-143-47 with the Red Wings, which ranks sixth all-time in franchise history.
Although Blashill is under contract until next season, there are rumors of potential replacements for the head coaching job. Red Wings assistant Dan Bylsma and Ottawa Senators head coach Guy Boucher are the top candidates.
Bylsma, 49, is a former head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Buffalo Sabres. He won the Stanley in 2009 with Pittsburgh when they beat the Detroit Red Wings. Bylsma posts a record of 401-252-117 and a Jack Adams Award that he received in 2011 as the NHL’s top bench boss
Boucher, 48, is a former head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning and the current head coach of the Ottawa. Boucher makes for the perfect candidate based on his past with current GM Steve Yzerman who has worked with Boucher during their time in Tampa in 2011. He also has taken both the Ottawa Senators and the Tampa Bay Lightning to a pair of game 7’s in the Eastern Conference finals. It will certainly be interesting to see what GM Steve Yzerman has in store for the Red Wings going forward.
Despite all this mess about being in last in everything in hockey, coaching changes and who they should pick; the Wings have one bright spot that they can look forward to and that is the NHL draft. Detroit is projected to secure the No. 1 overall pick and select 18-year-old, LW Alexis Lafreniere of the Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL.
A scouting report thedraftanalyst.com said this about Lafreniere, “A gifted scoring winger with outstanding hockey sense and the ability to elevate his game when the situation necessitates it, Lafreniere is poised to become the first French-Canadian skater to go first overall in the draft since Vincent Lecavalier was the top pick in 1998. Although there are many things about Lafreniere that scream elite, specifically his vision and deadly wrist shot, it’s his insanely-high compete level, tenacity on the puck, and selflessness that set him apart from all his peers. Play him on a line with equally-heralded or accomplished prospects, and he’ll make it a point to tap into their strengths rather than make himself the center of attention. Lafreniere is an excellent skater in all directions, but his powerful stride allows him to from opponents in open ice. He can tailor his game to fit any style of play, and his ability to play physical causes significant matchup problems for smaller opponents.
Lafreniere is a team-first leader who has made a profound impact on Rimouski, turning them from a 59-point doormat in 2016-17 to back-to-back playoff seasons of 90 points or more. He is used in every conceivable situation, and his ability to dominate the puck no matter the in-game environment creates swaths of open ice for his mates. Lafreniere is an incredibly unselfish player, and his youthful exuberance when coupled with his a player of the throwback variety. Lafreniere seems to understand and execute set-plays on or off the puck, and he can be counted on as a reliable forechecker who creates turnovers in the neutral zone. Although the volume of high-end prospects being developed out of the QMJHL has slowed down, Lafreniere is at the very top of an elite crop of Quebec Leaguers poised to garner the attention of scouts from all over North American and Europe. The top slot among 2020 draft hopefuls is Lafreneiere’s to lose.”
