|
The Captain, the coach, and the line that was missed |
|
|
|
|
|
Follow me on Twitter
Amidst my conspiracy laden And heavily sarcastic writings of yesterday, there is a line that was missed by the barely literate amongst us. That line was this: “ Who knows. In fact, all of it is the worst kind of speculation that I typically avoid. It’s pure fantasy at best and the disgusting reality of back room dealings at worst. However you see it (bad luck or bad theatre) the draft tends to favor teams that are, well, more favorable.“. Pure fantasy, and if any of it was ever even close, it would rival a Scorsese film. The draft lottery is simply a wild card, but the inclusion of teams who finished in the top 16 with “place holder picks” is just rife with the kind of painful draw Detroit has been privy to twice already. Falling even farther than a really bad finish.
The good news of the draft announcement? All the teams will be able to trade and make moves with the completion of the playoffs. This seems to be a sticking point for Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman. We know that there are deals that come very close to fruition up until the trade deadline. There may be some sort of salary dump/3 team deal that Yzerman will use to pick up a draft pick or prospect. Whatever the case, it will be worth watching.
so let’s get today’s shock Out of the way. Coach Blashill is returning for next season. He’s received the “benefit of the doubt” that is the result of a less than stellar roster and a ton of injuries. Honestly, this one is a bit of a surprise. How many had Blashill returns as their pick? I’ll be checking tonight and sending the gift card out. Gergeswillems may well be tapped into some issues with Gallant. Even if Blashill is on a short leash, I highly doubt that Gallant will wait on taking a position. Whatever Yzerman’s view of this team’s future, a new coach is not necessary at this point. I do feel bad for the road Blashill has had to tread, it’s not ideal and difficult to maneuver. Still, this feels like a bit of a “pause” on moving forward. Is it possible this team performs in much the same way next year? That would be difficult to imagine at this point.
The best news At this point is that a captain will be named prior to the season. Most of us feel that Larkin is the man for the job. Yzerman said he wanted a year to observe and get to know the players better before making that decision. Larkin did everything he could under the circumstances. He’s maintained a desire to win in a nearly impossible situation and been a fantastic representative for Detroit at fan and charity events alike. He’s got the Winged Wheel tattooed on his heart (I assume figuratively, but a literal tattoo isn’t out of the question). Larkin cares about the players, the organization and the city. He’s ready to wear the “C”
Moving forward, if any of you have submitted your picks for draft position/player and want to modify due to the clarified draft order, go ahead and do so in the comments. The question of coaching has been cleared up as of now, and we may have a winner of the first gift card. Good luck everyone!
Detroit Red Wings Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»