When Red Wings executive vice president and general Steve Yzerman said at February's trade deadline that he didn't intend to make a coaching change, he meant it.
He meant it then and he still means it.
On Wednesday, Yzerman met with the media for a season-ending video news conference following the NHL's decision Tuesday to move forward with a 24-team playoff without finishing the 2019-20 regular season.
Among the many topics of discussion was the future of head coach Jeff Blashill, who has been the team's coach since the 2015-16 season.
Former general manager Ken Holland, currently the GM of the Edmonton Oilers, signed Blashill to a two-year extension on April 2, 2019, 17 days before Yzerman returned to Detroit after nine seasons in Tampa Bay.
"My comments or my remarks and thoughts on the head coach, Jeff Blashill, haven't changed from February," Yzerman said. "I have no plans of making a coaching change at this time."
When the season paused on March 12, the Wings were last in the league with 39 points (17-49-5) through 71 games.
After making the playoffs in his first season with the Red Wings with a 41-30-11 record (93 points), Blashill has had to preside over a rebuilding team that has traded away players like Tomas Tatar, Gustav Nyquist, Mike Green and Andreas Athanasiou.
"I think Jeff has done a good job," Yzerman said. "I think it's been a difficult position in his tenure here. The Red Wings are in a rebuild for a while and for the last two, three trade deadlines, the team has traded valuable players, good players, for future assets and Jeff has, with his head held high, diligently worked hard, done a good job in coaching this team in a difficult situation throughout that.
"As I said in February, I think it's unfair to judge him based on our record at this time. Quite frankly, we need to improve the team for anybody to truly critique or assess the coaching staff. We need to improve the team."
The Wings have a team option of Blashill's contract for the 2020-21 season.
"I plan to have Jeff, he's going to be the head coach of the team and we'll do what's necessary to make sure he's the head coach of the team," Yzerman said.
Yzerman said that while he might have some input on Blashill's coaching staff, it will ultimately be up to Blashill whether he wants to make any changes this offseason.
