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Jeff Blashill close to signing an extension... Babcock talks starting

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According to Khan... Blashill on the verge of an extension... Great News!

Babcock starting extension talks as early as next week

http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/2014/05/red_wings_expect_to_sign_griff.html#incart_river

Reading that article it sounds like Holland basically told blashill that if he sticks around a couple more seasons he'll be all but guaranteed the head coach position in Detroit

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Blashill is Hollands insurance policy if Babcocks contract extension goes south. Worst thing that can happen is we get to keep a quality coach molding our youth for a couple more years.

Reading that article it sounds like Holland basically told blashill that if he sticks around a couple more seasons he'll be all but guaranteed the head coach position in Detroit

I took it as stay around for a couple years in case Babcock leaves but if Babs stays it gives him a little more experience and Holland is giving him a pay raise to stick with our young guys alittle longer.

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I thought Babcock was going to walk across the ice during the first Red Wings/Peguins game next season and just start coaching them.

Or was that Toronto. Whichever one TSN wants to tell me any given week.

Personally, I never liked a minor league coach graduating to the big club along with the same players from both levels. Like when you become an NCO, it is best to move units. Fresh leadership start.

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I thought Babcock was going to walk across the ice during the first Red Wings/Peguins game next season and just start coaching them.

Or was that Toronto. Whichever one TSN wants to tell me any given week.

Personally, I never liked a minor league coach graduating to the big club along with the same players from both levels. Like when you become an NCO, it is best to move units. Fresh leadership start.

so you think blashill should leave?

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so you think blashill should leave?

Not at all. I am simply warning that there is a danger of bringing up a coach that will have already coached much of the roster in the minor leagues. Coaches can tend to be softer on those players and those players can in turn think they know the coach and if their minutes drop or such and dissention begins to spread.

Now, I think the Red Wings have much more mature and professional players than most of the league due in large part to them having to play in the minors longer than normal. And, yes, professional athletes at this level should be professional, but human nature is human nature.

It generally does the coach some good if there is that healthy element of fear the first time he sees his team, hence why it is often good for coaches to move to different organizations when graduating up a league level.

If the Red Wings organization thinks he is the best man for the job in one to three years, by all means he has my confidence and support. I also know that the Red Wings, as a business, will always be keeping an eye out and feelers to outside coaches given how much circumstances change in a season, much less multiple seasons. We could range anywhere from top five Eastern team to draft lottery winners. Odds are we will be in a similar place, slightly improved.

The long winded point being proceed with some caution.

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Babcock did the same thing with the Ducks and he was pretty successful in Anaheim.

Davis Payne did the same thing with Blues and failed.

Coach Babcock level of talent is a very, very rare thing to find. Not to say he should be given some ten year contract, but I wouldn't just let him walk away either, unless he personally just wants a change. I would say he is visibly frustrated, but then he always looks angry. When he smiles, I am concerned. :lol:

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I don't see Babs going to Michigan, personally. Not at this stage in his career. A guy like him, arguably the best in the hockey world, arguably still in his coaching prime, just walking away from pro hockey altogether? I think he stays in the NHL and takes over a good but underachieving team that's tuned out its coach, e.g. St. Louis. Stupid though these Pittsburgh/Toronto rumors have been, pretty much any and every club would love to have Mike Babcock, in any capacity.

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I've observed him comment more than once that he'd like to be Berensens assistant, you know, that way Babcock injects humor into his answers.

I think he's been setting the stage with those comments. He's already won the Stanley Cup. At his age, nhl coaching means at least 3 more residence changes.

Coaching at Michigan could take him all the way to retirement. He wouldn't have to uproot his family. The travel would be a fraction of what it would be in the nhl. Not to mention, while there are some good organizations to be a part of, most are going to be a big downgrade from Detroit.

The big wild card is wether or not he's ready to take an 85-90% hit in salary, from roughly $2m to roughly $200k. (Berensen makes around $225k)

As much pressure as there may be on Michigan Hockey, it just might be like semi retirement compared to the nhl.

Edited by T.Low

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All good points. I just feel like he's still got more in the tank, more years of pro coaching left in him. Taking over at Michigan would be like an early retirement. If that's where his heart is (when the time comes), more power to him. It'll probably be an easier decision if he can win one more Cup.

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The Berensen comment was a joke and it was said in the context of: my daughter has one year left in high school so I have to stay in Detroit one year for that so, if I'm not with the wings, I'll go be Red's assistant. There's no way Babs would drop down to College level hockey - he's very competitive guy and surely wants to compete at the highest level.

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I don't see Babs going to Michigan, personally. Not at this stage in his career. A guy like him, arguably the best in the hockey world, arguably still in his coaching prime, just walking away from pro hockey altogether? I think he stays in the NHL and takes over a good but underachieving team that's tuned out its coach, e.g. St. Louis. Stupid though these Pittsburgh/Toronto rumors have been, pretty much any and every club would love to have Mike Babcock, in any capacity.

Several egos in that locker room will hate Babcock. Kinda would relish that in all honesty just to see local reactions around me when in Saint Louis every fall and winter.

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@DetroitRedWings: UPDATE: The @griffinshockey have signed head coach, Jeff Blashill, to a new three-year contract.

@AnsarKhanMLive: Blashill, who had one year left on deal, actually signed a new 3-year contract that runs through 2016-17.

Edited by BottleOfSmoke

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Good to see they've got Blashill locked up. My only worry is that he might be Babcock-Lite, as it were. It's not just his voice, but his persona and coaching style. I do think he's a bit more mellow than Babs, and probably has pretty good rapport with the kids. I would be interested to see what his role is if Babcock decides to stay. Does he stay in GR or try to work in as an assistant coach?

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Great signing. Hell, he works so well with the kids that I would be happy just seeing him down in Grand Rapids developing the players for the NHL. Keep in mind the Griffins coaching had been so horrible at times where we had great talent but just couldn't apply that talent on the ice. Now, we are starting to see the benefits to having a coach who can work with the kids and develop them the right way. I hope they gave him a raise because he deserves it.

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Guest DeGraa55

@petewallner: Jeff Blashill on waiting over pursuing NHL job: "This isn't a race." He said he wants to continue to improve. http://t.co/xqcFPdyuxo

If I had to guess he thinks Or someone told him he will be taking over Babcock eventually.

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Wings front office is continuing to groom Blashill to take over for Babs. Its just a question of if he spends any more time as an assistant in Detroit before then? I guess it doesn't matter...in three years, a majority of the team will have been coached by him in GR already.

From the article:

“We, meaning Ken Holland, myself and the organization, think he is one of the best, if not the best, coach in the AHL. He has a bright future in the NHL. He just needs some time, the right opportunity and the right fit.”

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