Organization's Offseason Made Playoffs A Must

For the last ten seasons, the Detroit Red Wings were led by the greatest coach in the NHL, Mike Babcock. Because of his abilities, when Babcock decided to move on this summer it was inevitable that the Red Wings would take at least a small step-back, Although a devastating blow, it was the decisions of Ken Holland and the Red Wings management that could turn this inevitable slow start into a lost season.

Mike Babcock was gracious enough to make his decision early in the summer, giving the Wings plenty of time to hire Jeff Blashill and prepare for the upcoming season. I believe Jeff Blashill will be a very good NHL coach, however he is a rookie and needs time to adjust. This adjustment period was going to cause a slight decline in the team's performance, which although unfortunate, could have been a great opportunity for the organization.

For the last few years, the Red Wings have been stuck between two generations. As they rebuilt on the fly, the team consisted of elite veterans and young players who were not ready to lead. While the veterans could still play a high level, the Wings decided to focus on contending every year. This plan was rewarded with a 24-year playoff streak and a backlog of young players with little or no time in the NHL.

With a new coach, particularly an AHL coach, this was a great opportunity to embrace a reset. As we waited for the new coach to find his way, young players could get a chance to prove their abilities. Players like Tatar, Nyquist and DeKeyser could prove that they can lead the team. Meanwhile giving Smith, Kindl, Jurco, Ouellet and Marchenko significant minutes would help Ken Holland evaluate where they fit in the team’s future. While this theoretical reload could cause the team to miss the playoffs and end the streak, I thought it was a reasonable price to pay it solidified the future.

While I thought the reload was a good idea, Ken Holland clearly disagreed. On the first day of free agency, he signed Mike Green and Brad Richards. Although both are upgrades and fill a need, both players are past their prime and were signed to a short-term contract. Thus, these moves were obviously made with an eye towards making the playoffs and being a real contender in the Eastern Conference.

With the new additions, the team has a roster crunch that pushed young players out of the starting lineup. Now the Red Wings are taking the expected step backwards, and have some ground to make up in order to make playoffs. While there is lot of hockey left, it puts the team in a precarious position. I would have been content with the team missing the playoffs, if the young players were developing to improve the team’s future. However, Ken Holland’s off-season moves pushed the organization’s direction towards contending rather than rebuilding. Now, by no fault of his own, Jeff Blashill must lead the team to the playoffs or the season will be wasted.