The Red Wings standings position won’t impact Blashill talks
TSN: Bob McKenzie on TSN said that despite the Detroit Red Wings being near the bottom of the standings, it won’t have a negative impact on any Jeff Blashill decisions. Blashill’s contract expires after this season.
“The expectation is the Red Wings, even before the end of this season, may begin extension negotiations with Blashill. So even though the Wings are 30th place overall right now, they’ve liked the way Blashill’s handled the young kids and that they’ve continued to develop. And in spite of the fact that they don’t have nearly as many points as they’d like, the Wings have been very competitive, well-structured and well-coached over the course of this season. So the fault of the Detroit Red Wings’ season is not being laid at the feet of the head coach.”
Cooper still without a contract in Tampa
Chris Nichols of Nichols on Hockey: Bob McKenzie was on NBCSN and was asked about Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper who is in the last year of his contract.
“Cooper wants to stay in Tampa. The Tampa Bay Lightning want Jon Cooper. But there’s obviously a negotiation here. He’s making $2.25 million on the final year of his deal. As we know, there’s been a big salary escalation for coaches like the guy here, and especially Mike Babcock and Joel Quenneville, who used to coach these Chicago Blackhawks.
“So Cooper obviously wants to be paid fairly. The fact that he works and lives in a tax-free state, more or less, probably helps his cause – as it does when Kucherov and Stamkos and Hedman took less than market value contracts.”
Chris Nichols of Nichols on Hockey: Darren Dreger was on TSN 690 and asked about Jon Cooper not having a contract yet. Dreger notes that though Cooper is in a similar contract situation to what Barry Trotz went through last year with the Washington Capitals, but Trotz was kind of pushed out, kind of a mutual decision to leave. Why doesn’t Cooper have a contract for next season?
“And the only reason it makes any sense in my tiny little brain is because of longevity – the time that Jon Cooper has been with the organization. No different than Joel Quenneville, even though obviously he had a winning record in Chicago. Coaches have shelf lives, and that’s going to be up to Julien BriseBois and ownership in Tampa Bay to determine whether that’s where Cooper is at.
“But I think it would take a colossal failure of the Tampa Bay Lightning in Round One – maybe Round Two – for that even to be considered.”