The Detroit Red Wings today announced that head coach Derek Lalonde and assistant coach Bob Boughner have been relieved of their duties after much speculation. Todd McLellan will take over as the new head coach and Trent Yawney will assume assistant head coaching duties. McLellan immediately signed a multi-year to return to Detroit, where he won a Stanley Cup as an assistant under coach Mike Babcock in 2008.
Red Wings, McLellan renew partnership
Lalonde was in his third season behind the Red WIngs bench as head coach after coming in from the Tampa Bay Lightning. Detroit was off to an 13-17-4 record this season and in seventh place in the Atlantic Division. The offense and penalty kill struggled mightily, the power play was passable, and the goaltending has been the only bright spot all season.
From top to bottom, the roster could not get it together to form some kind of win streak. Inconsistent play and roster shuffling left the players not being able to play their game. The lack of depth, which falls on the shoulders of general manager Steve Yzerman, is the team's biggest issue. Years have gone by with roster issues that have yet to be corrected. Yes, Lalonde is to blame for some of the inconsistencies but Yzerman is the one who put this roster together and should also be held accountable.
McLellan and Yawney held the same positions with the Los Angeles Kings and worked together for some time. McLellan is a strict coach who knows what he wants out of his lineup. He has become a successful coach who has brought out the best of some bad rosters. Yawney will likely take over the penalty-killing duties.
McLellan has a style that may work for Detroit if applied correctly. He is a defense-oriented coach but likes to open things up offensively. The Red Wings have been accused of playing "boring hockey" but that should be the case no more as the hiring alone should wake up half of the struggling roster.
Was a change needed? Absolutely. Was Lalonde a scapegoat of how the roster performed? Also true, but he worked with what he was given. However, this should not be the only change being made. A new voice behind the bench can only do so much as the roster stays the same then so will the overall play. Yzerman needs to take a long look at the roster he's put on the ice and make some changes because this is not working. The roster has six players pulling their weight, while everyone else is struggling. This is not a playoff team or a team capable of winning the Atlantic Division. This should be the first of many moves to come. As the old quote goes, "if nothing changers nothing changes."