Finally, clarity.
More than a week after the end of their season, Steve Yzerman and the Red Wings announced Tuesday that Jeff Blashill has been awarded a contract extension. The length of the deal was not disclosed. Blashill was not under contract beyond this season.
The Wings also announced that assistant coach Dan Bylsma will not return.
The Wings just wrapped up their fifth straight losing campaign under Blashill, the NHL's third longest-tenured head coach. But they did improve on the defensive side of the puck, and both Blashill and Yzerman believe the foundation is being laid for long-term success. Detroit collected 31 points in its final 30 games.
“I know when I’ve done a good job and when I haven’t,” Blashill said in the final week of the season. “And when I look at where we’re at today, I know we’re a better hockey team. I know our players have improved. And I believe that we have planted good seeds for a better tomorrow for this organization.”
Yzerman has been in no rush to make a coaching change since taking over as GM after the 2019 season. The Wings are grinding through a full-scale rebuild and the roster is far from a finished product. A new head coach won't magically change that, and Yzerman knows it. He has said it's unfair to judge Blashill based on the record of a team that's not ready to win.
Rather, Yzerman has been focused on the growth of the Wings' young players. While their offense still leaves much to be desired -- and Dylan Larkin's regression is a particular cause for concern -- Yzerman believes the likes of FIlip Hronek, Filip Zadina and Michael Rasmussen took important steps forward this year.
“They are positively contributing,” Yzerman said last month. “It’s not like they’re putting up big numbers, but that’s OK. They’re competing really hard. They’re doing a lot of good things. They’re growing as as players. I see a difference in their play from a year ago. They are having more of an impact in each situation they’re in."
Only Jon Cooper of the Lightning and Paul Maurice of the Jets have been at the helm of their teams longer than Blashill. Since 2014-15, Blashill’s first season in Detroit, the Lightning have the most wins in the NHL and the Jets have the ninth most. The Wings rank 28th.
But again, Blashill has presided over a rebuild for most of that time. And with that rebuild showing modest signs of progress, it will remain in Blashill's care for at least another year.