Coaching Change Sparks New Hope as Red Wings Look to Salvage Season
Following a disappointing 13-17-4 start to the 2024-25 season, the Detroit Red Wings have made a significant leadership change. On Thursday, the team announced the dismissal of head coach Derek Lalonde and the appointment of Todd McLellan as his replacement.
Lalonde took over as head coach in the 2022 offseason after the Red Wings parted ways with Jeff Blashill. During his first two seasons, the team steadily progressed, improving from 74 points in Blashill’s final season to 80 points in Lalonde’s debut campaign, and then to 91 points in 2023-24. Despite the improvement, the Red Wings narrowly missed the playoffs last season, losing out on the final berth due to a tiebreaker.
However, the Red Wings have experienced a significant decline this season. As of Thursday morning, Detroit ranked 28th in the league standings. The team has struggled to establish a clear identity and has faced a dramatic drop in offensive performance, now ranking among the bottom five teams in the league for goals per game (2.56). This drop comes despite having the 11th-ranked power play in the league.
The Red Wings’ expected goal generation at five-on-five has been among the worst in the NHL, and their penalty kill is currently one of the worst in league history. Alongside Lalonde, assistant coach Bob Boughner, who was responsible for the penalty kill, was dismissed on Thursday.
General manager Steve Yzerman, evidently unwilling to wait for the situation to improve, decided to act swiftly. The team was on a three-game losing streak heading into Saturday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ultimately, the Red Wings’ overall performance this season left Yzerman with little choice but to make changes at the coaching level.
As the head coach, Derek Lalonde carries part of the blame for Detroit’s difficulties this season. However, in many ways, he’s the simplest adjustment to make with plenty of games still left in the season.
Any realistic path to the playoffs now appears limited, but in a weakened Atlantic Division, there remains some time for the Red Wings to become at least more competitive than before.
Nonetheless, any discussion about the Red Wings’ struggles this season must begin with the roster assembled by General Manager Steve Yzerman.
Detroit lost several effective forwards in the offseason, along with two key defensemen, Jake Walman and power-play specialist Shayne Gostisbehere. This reduced the Red Wings’ offensive firepower and created an urgent need to strengthen their defensive unit, but only a few notable roster improvements were made. One positive, however, has been young defenseman Simon Edvinsson, who has stepped up impressively into a top-pair role.
New goaltender Cam Talbot has been a bright spot in the net. Still, free-agent acquisitions Vladimir Tarasenko and Erik Gustafsson brought in to address key gaps have fallen short of expectations.
The lack of impact additions through free agency left progress dependent on internal development and coaching. That progress has not materialized, and Lalonde is now bearing the consequences.
Fans will recognize Todd McLellan from his time as an assistant coach with the Red Wings from 2005 to 2008, during which he was part of the staff that won Detroit’s most recent Stanley Cup. Since then, McLellan has accumulated significant head coaching experience, having coached over 1,100 NHL games with San Jose, Edmonton, and Los Angeles.
His most recent tenure with the Kings lasted more than four seasons, where he led the team to two playoff appearances, both ending in first-round losses to the Oilers. McLellan’s Kings teams were known for their strong defensive play, a quality that aligns with the Red Wings priorities this season.
Image Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
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