Lalonde's seat heating up as Red Wings struggle
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The Boston Bruins made the first head coaching change of the season on Tuesday, but it's unlikely to be the last.
TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger notes that Derek Lalonde's seat is growing warmer as the Detroit Red Wings continue to struggle.
The Red Wings have missed the playoffs in each of the past eight seasons, including the previous two under Lalonde. The team currently sits second-last in the Atlantic Division with a 7-9-2 record.
"Speculatively speaking, I would say yes," Dreger said Thursday on Early Trading with host Gino Reda when asked if other teams could follow Boston's lead. "I’m looking right at the Detroit Red Wings, and that’s not new information, but it’s definitely heating up there.
"The problem is that the Detroit Red Wings, because of their start, are with a glut of teams fighting for the same spot. They recognize that they are going to have to go on a heater. Now, they do feel somewhat encouraged by the fact they’re on a homestand, but you do have to consider the what-ifs.
"What if this homestand doesn’t produce results for the Detroit Red Wings? We know that Steve Yzerman is a very active general manager, Gino. You know he’s listening. You know he’s making calls. You know he’s looking for the upgrades.
"But, if this homestand does not produce results, then I think you potentially could see a head coaching change. Maybe that goes hand-in-hand, with as you said, teams hitting the 20-game mark, the quarter mark of the regular season, U.S. Thanksgiving. Historically, that’s when we start seeing these sorts of decisions being made.
"On top of all that, is the reality of a real good head coach now on the unemployment line in Jim Montgomery. Whether it’s Detroit, it’s Nashville, it’s other teams around the NHL that are intrigued by the possibility of Jim Montgomery. That’s where we’re at, mostly because of the struggles of some of the teams like the Red Wings."
Detroit is currently stuck in a three-game winless skid entering Thursday's home game against the New York Islanders.
The team appears to have taken a step back after just missing the postseason on a tiebreaker with a 41-32-9 record last season. Detroit was 35-37-10 in Lalonde's first season behind the bench in 2022-23.