Jim Bedard gone... Ferschweiler demoted

[Echolalia 2,961]

I'm surprised at the surprise over Bedard. As I posted after the first round, Howard is horrendous at playing the puck, and a lot of technical flaws emerged in Mrazek's game this season. Rebound control was a problem even when he was winning, and his angles went to hell when he was slumping. Bedard has had six or seven years to improve Howard, and it hasn't happened. And Mrazek seemed to regress. Time for a change, good on whomever (Holland or Blashill) made that call.

Mrazek seemed to regress compared to when? He's only been in the NHL for a year and a handful of games beyond that, and has been wildly inconsistent the entire time. I don't know if anyon can reliably say what his actual baseline is at this point. Is he the elite goalie who can get shutouts every other game who has just had average or bad games regularly, or is he an average goalie who has had a handful of games where he played beyond his ability? A season and a half of games isn't going to tell you the answer to that one.

[RedWingsRox 614]

Well, we got to shake some things up ... can't go on forever getting in and one and done.

[xtrememachine1 795]

I really like the sounds of Todd Richards and Doug Houda. I also like Adam Oates, but just curious of the reasoning for the "Please God no" comment? I think he'd be great for our power-play...

Didn't he leave Detroit on bad terms after he was traded?

[krsmith17 7,191]

What would that have to do with anything? He was here last season for a short time as a consultant. Fedorov left on bad terms as a free agent while Oates was traded, and much more recently as well. Most rational fans and more imortantly management don't hold anything against Fedorov, why would they hold anything against Oates?

[kliq 3,755]

Doug Houda for defense maybe. He was assistant for Boston. From what I remember couple years ago Boston had the best possession metrics under him and their defense really thrived.

Nice call!

[marcaractac 3,962]

The first time I have saw Howard play was a preseason game against TB, it was the season after the lockout and he let in his first shot on net from I believe center ice lol.

Truth. His regular season debut was a train wreck as well. The concern was high knowing Ozzie was on his last leg. But he was never all that in GR either. He straight up made the team because we had no backup and Howard was waiver eligible. Him being an average NHL goalie is a huge over-achievement all on its own.

[kickazz 5,459]

Looks like the next assistant they hire will have to have "former NHL head coach" on his resume.

Blashill noted a desire that the next new assistant have the kind of bench-management wisdom that comes from having been an NHL head coach.

http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nhl/red-wings/2016/05/10/detroit-red-wings-doug-houda/84186236/

Edited May 10, 2016 by kickazz

[kliq 3,755]

Looks like the next assistant they hire will have to have "former NHL head coach" on his resume.

Blashill noted a desire that the next new assistant have the kind of bench-management wisdom that comes from having been an NHL head coach.

http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nhl/red-wings/2016/05/10/detroit-red-wings-doug-houda/84186236/

Paul McLean? The guy did win coach of the year, and has history here.

[kipwinger 8,518]

One thing that I think is super important for both Houda, and whoever we sign to coach the offense, is a knowledge and embrace of how modern analytics can/should inform coaching. I don't know where any of the candidates stand on the topic though.

[kickazz 5,459]

One thing that I think is super important for both Houda, and whoever we sign to coach the offense, is a knowledge and embrace of how modern analytics can/should inform coaching. I don't know where any of the candidates stand on the topic though.

I believe Jeff Blashill uses modern analytics? Although I don't know how much it weighs in on his decisions.

Edited May 10, 2016 by kickazz

[marcaractac 3,962]

I believe Jeff Blashill uses modern analytics? Although I don't know how much it weighs in on his decisions.

His use of Ericsson and Smith tell me that analytics have zero impact on his decisions.

[Hack & Whack Rule! 160]

His use of Ericsson and Smith tell me that analytics have zero impact on his decisions.

Boom...headshot!

[Echolalia 2,961]

His use of Ericsson and Smith tell me that analytics have zero impact on his decisions.

http://m.hkref.com/m?p=XXplayersXXsXXsmithbr05.html&t=2

Unless you meant his lack of use, in which case I would agree with you.

[kickazz 5,459]

His use of Ericsson and Smith tell me that analytics have zero impact on his decisions.

It's cause the swedish mafia tells him...

NO!

Apparently he acknowledges it for certain things. But doesn't look like the org is even close to transitioning to it fully.

http://www.wingingitinmotown.com/2015/10/20/9573483/jeff-blashill-acknowledges-tracking-use-zone-time-red-wings-analytics

Edited May 11, 2016 by kickazz

[marcaractac 3,962]

http://m.hkref.com/m?p=XXplayersXXsXXsmithbr05.html&t=2

Unless you meant his lack of use, in which case I would agree with you.

Lack of use is what I was hinting at when it came to the Smith half of things haha

[DickieDunn 2,571]

Didn't he leave Detroit on bad terms after he was traded?

IIRC the rumor was he was a bug time coke head and bad influence, might have even been the guy who got Probert going on it.

[paulwoodsfan 52]

Mrazek seemed to regress compared to when? He's only been in the NHL for a year and a handful of games beyond that, and has been wildly inconsistent the entire time. I don't know if anyon can reliably say what his actual baseline is at this point. Is he the elite goalie who can get shutouts every other game who has just had average or bad games regularly, or is he an average goalie who has had a handful of games where he played beyond his ability? A season and a half of games isn't going to tell you the answer to that one.

Compared to the first three-four months of the season. In the late stages and even when he was playing fairly well in the playoffs, he was surrendering more and bigger rebounds than earlier in the season, and some of his angles were terrible. I agree he's far from fully formed but given the trajectory he had been on, to me that's regression and the coach bears some responsibility for it.

Edited May 12, 2016 by paulwoodsfan

[Echolalia 2,961]

Compared to the first three-four months of the season. In the late stages and even when he was playing fairly well in the playoffs, he was surrendering more and bigger rebounds than earlier in the season, and some of his angles were terrible. I agree he's far from fully formed but given the trajectory he had been on, to me that's regression and the coach bears some responsibility for it.

My point was that being so early in his career it's not possible to say if a strong start is an anomaly or his baseline. It's kinda similar to when Nyquist came up to the Wings and scored nonstop for the second half of the season. Technically he's regressed from that level, but I don't think anyone is calling that period his baseline, so it's not fair to say he had a regression in his development. It was just an anomalous period that happened to be toward the beginning of his career. Is the same thing happening with Mrazek or is he actually that elite and did have a period of developmental regression? I don't think you can definitively say one way or another given the sample size.