JEFF BLASHILL SERIES

He was not qualified by the team this summer, and then Gaudette signed a one-year, league-minimum deal in Toronto. Gaudette played just 15 games in Chicago before heading to Ottawa as a waiver claim, and he had 12 points in 50 games as a Senator last season. After a 2019-20 campaign that saw him post 33 points in 59 games, the holes in Gaudette’s all-around game led the Canucks to trade him to the Blackhawks. Gaudette, the 2017-18 Hobey Baker Award winner, has struggled in recent years to live up to the hype he had as a college hockey star. Additionally, Siegel notes that Gaudette will get looks on the team’s top power-play unit in the preseason. Per Jonas Siegel of The Athletic, the Maple Leafs have started camp with forward Adam Gaudette on a line with Marner and captain John Tavares. At this year’s training camp, it looks as though another under-the-radar player could get a massive opportunity in Toronto. Last season, 26-year-old rookie Michael Bunting earned a spot next to Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, and played well enough to make the 2021-22 All-Rookie team. A bigger-named coach might have that instant impact.While the Toronto Maple Leafs are undoubtedly a team centered around star power, in recent years the organization hasn’t been afraid to give lesser-known players the chance to take the next steps in their careers. Given his NHL coaching résumé isn't rich in experience yet, Blashill could face a challenge in building accountability within his roster. Blashill falls on the younger and more inexperienced side of head coaches, which would make him a considerable gamble for the Flyers. The Flyers' situation is screaming for pedigree and a proven track record, especially considering ownership and management want to get better quickly. Over his seven seasons as Detroit's head coach, the Red Wings ranked last in the NHL in goals per game (2.49), allowed the second-most goals per game (3.23), and had the second-worst power play (16.3 percent) and penalty kill (77.8 percent). And those seven seasons have been Blashill's total body of work as an NHL head coach.Īlready in a two-year playoff drought and pressure-filled spot, do the Flyers want to take that risk? Blashill simply is not close to as established as some of the other candidates on the market. Rebuild or not, the numbers with the Red Wings were not pretty. He also was a goalie coming up through the USHL and college, which could make him a nice resource for Carter Hart. Blashill would not be new to steering a youth movement.īlashill won AHL Coach of the Year in 2013-14 while leading Detroit's affiliate Grand Rapids. The Flyers are expecting to look younger up front and on the back end next season.

They swept the Flyers in their three-game regular-season series, outscoring them 16-8. The Red Wings went 32-40-10 while playing in a stacked Atlantic Division, which featured the Panthers (122 points), Maple Leafs (115), Lightning (110) and Bruins (107). Two of the top four were 20 and younger in Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider, the latter of whom is the Calder Memorial Trophy favorite (Rookie of the Year). This season, Detroit's top six scorers were 27 years old or younger. York signs contract extension with Flyers Many of the Red Wings' younger players saw solid and steady growth under Blashill, namely Dylan Larkin, who has been a two-time All-Star before the age of 26. Blashill's experience of coaching in that type of setting, in a bigger market, could appeal to the Flyers. The Flyers themselves are entering a transitional phase of sorts after going 25-46-11 this season and trading longtime captain Claude Giroux. The postseason berth came in Year 1 before Detroit set out on its transitional phase. He was fired at the end of April following his seventh season, finishing with a 204-261-72 record and one playoff appearance. The 48-year-old coached the Red Wings through a rebuild.

JEFF BLASHILL SERIES

Next up in our series is Jeff Blashill, who interviewed for the Flyers' job, according to a report by 's Frank Seravalli. We've looked at Barry Trotz, Rick Tocchet, Paul Maurice, Jim Montgomery, John Tortorella, Peter DeBoer, Scott Sandelin, David Quinn, Kirk Muller, Mike Vellucci, Spencer Carbery and Bruce Cassidy.

I'm sure there will be a lot of quality candidates we'll speak to.' 'Clearly we have to sit down and really drill down in terms of what we're looking for. 'We're going to sit down and try to build that ideal candidate profile and really keep all options open, maybe look at it from a little broader perspective,' Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher said May 3. Throughout May and into June, we're looking at potential candidates for the Flyers' head coaching vacancy.

Jeff blashill