I think this is fair. I like him, but we do need to make the playoffs this year.
Suspicious_Walrus682
It’ll be a test for him and his staff to show that they can teach this team to play tight, defensive hockey.
Ydoesany1doanything
I don’t think he’s in danger of being fired unless he has a 23-24 oilers start to the season. Playoffs are likely an expectation at this point but I wouldn’t be shocked at some regression as well if Edvinsson Johansson and Berggren all have some rookie struggles.
Really we should’ve made playoffs last season but shit just didn’t quite shake out that way and it’s not all on Lalonde
magikarp-sushi
He’s not in the hot seat when this is the first year realistically the teams management seems to have some expectations
This is a nothing burger like people that want Yzerman fired for draft picks
Strypes4686
It is….. not completely fair but him not righting the ship until the 11th hour is a bad look and t cost us.
xenonwarrior666
If we go on another extended losing streak he’s gotta get fired/not rehired
He even said he needed to do better working with a depleted line up.
The January slump with Larkin,Compher,Perron and Husso being gone was pretty understandable
The March debacle is unforgivable.
TIMGYM
Meh.
Took the team from 80 pts first year to 91 the second. Trend suggests we get 100 pts this year and punch a ticket.
If that doesn’t happen, onboard with a reorg.
Demo541
That’s kinda ridiculous imo. I don’t see Yzerman firing him. Wings are playing better than they have in years, and their style is fun to watch under Lalonde. Nobody seems to expect Detroit to make the playoffs anyway.
CD23tol
Yzerman said the expectations for next year are similar to last year
If we bottom out and are a 75-80 point team, yeah he’s probably gone
But if we just miss playoffs by 1-5 points and the young players show growth then he’s probably safe barring the room turning on him
AstralPolarBear
I didn’t really think Yzerman has Lalonde on as hot of a seat as the media/fans think. Sure, the rebuild has taken a while and we’re getting impatient, but I didn’t really see this team as being held back by the coach, in the way that someone different/better than Lalonde can get a ton more out of this team. There are clear flaws in the roster, particularly in goal and on defense, and they need a better #2 center for sure. Lalonde isn’t the key guy making those decisions.
I’ve heard on some hockey podcasts wondering if Yzerman is as good as people claim he is, and if he should be on the hot seat. I don’t think he’s there… Yet… But it does seem like some are becoming impatient with Yzerman, and if he is feeling heat, sometimes changing the coach is a way to deflect some criticism for a little bit at least.
I think Lalonde is safe this year, but the team can’t take a step back. How this year goes determines how hot his seat is next (2025-26) season, in my opinion. Unless this team is real bad in the first half, then Lalonde’s seat can heat up fast.
Sneacler67
If he was on another team that didn’t have fans that thought their GM is infallible then he would be on the hot seat
PineapplePhil
There’s no fucking way lmao.
I swear national reporters do not understand this team at all.
Medievil_Walrus
Makes so much sense I can’t believe questioning his coaching was met with so many tantrums by wings fans in this sub.
bigjohns79
And replace him with who? A new young head coach from the minors or a seasoned vet. It’s really easy to call for someone’s head but what options are they providing.
campbluedog
Newsie ain’t going anywhere, yet. This is Stevie Y’s show. Lalonde is just managing it
After_Vegetable6297
Well deserved spot for him.
BuffaloSoldier11
When is the last time Detroit fired a coach midseason?
likethemustard
Last year for him if we don’t make the playoffs
ColdSplit
Unless there is a serious collapse this year there’s no way. I guarantee Stevie blames himself more than Lalonde for the shortcomings the team has had lately. What is Newsie supposed to do with this defense and a revolving door of goalies
oceanic8675
Larkin and Kane have a lot of positives to say about the guy and his ability to hold player’s accountable, and that means more to me than the media’s interpretation.
Magnetarix
We need a 1C more than a new coach
Sandshrew922
What exactly is wrong with this statement? If they miss the playoffs next year (barring the rest of the East being significantly better than this past year) he absolutely should be gone. Following up a historic choke job with a backslide would be grounds for termination.
jimac20
I think the WWP guys put it best. Yzerman hasn’t made the over all moves to put playoffs into the expected collumn. So he cannot really blame lalonde if they perform to the same level. I can’t see Stevie firing him unless we fall off a cliff.
AppleGeniusBar
Short of some trainwreck, this just couldn’t be further from the truth. That’s not even opinion – Yzerman said this during the end of season press. He all but confirmed he was planning to extend Lalonde and pointed to the culture, progress, and how well the players liked him.
As frustrated by the lack of playoffs many fans may be, there’s just no indication that he’d be considered on the hot seat let alone in the hottest.
Mattius14
By who? Would be wiser to include a source.
Are we supposed to change our minds on him based on someone on the internet having written a blog?
jfstompers
Who else is there to fire there have been like a dozen fired in the last year.
OldGermanBeer
He’s not.
BaldassHeadCoach
If there’s another December or March collapse and we miss the playoffs again this upcoming season, then yeah I could absolutely see him being let go.
quickboop
They stuck with Blash through intensely poor seasons. How they gonna fire Lalonde after some really promising progress?
coltron57
I feel like the easiest way to get to this conclusion is that the majority of the coaches in the league either recently made the playoffs or have been on the job for less time than Lalonde.
FreeYNW-
i think if the Wings get off to a slow start Yzerman won’t be afraid to pull the plug early on Lalonde next season
nb00818
Ok lets say hypothetically we fire him….Who do we hire?
tsckenny
I think they only way his job is in trouble is if they are really bad
MariachiArchery
My thinking is this:
If Dylan goes down again for a few games, and this team falls apart, again, I think at this point that is on the coach. If our roster gets shaken up, and this team goes on another *long* loosing streak, THAT is when I think we see Newsy in the hot seat.
But not right now. If this team continues to fall apart when one or two starters comes off the roster, that is on the coaching, and then I’ll expect change.
toadyco
Whole bunch of jobs just turned over, so he may very well be on the league’s hottest seat, even if it’s not very hot
Hotel_Putingrad
Lalonde is playing the Guy Boucher role. When Yzerman feels like the roster is ready to compete, he’ll get the coach he knows he needs.
wonder_breadcar
He’s got a whole off-season to adjust his system and tinker with the lineup. The public models have shown pretty awful underlying numbers the last two years but I think he’s gonna be given a decent amount of runway to work with
lionbacker54
I’ve been disappointed in team defense, given his reputation. But I’m trying to be patient, understanding that many of the players on the roster were not great defenders
CopsPushMongo
Comment #69
mikemich
Two years in a row under Lalonde, this team has incurred lengthy, major collapses. These weren’t just slumps. This past season, it cost them the playoffs. He shouldn’t survive another such drought. Whether Yzerman agrees is anyone’s guess – but Lalonde is not a tenured coach with a track record to fall back upon. No one is expecting to see the ’76 Canadiens or ’02 Red Wings out there given this lineup – but the wheels cannot realistically fall off again for weeks at a time. That’s on the coaching staff to avoid such pitfalls.
jarvek7
If this was any other team I would say this is true. But the DRWs have been very loyal to their coaches. I somehow doubt that Stevie would give him the boot during the season unless we come out of the chute and totally shit the bed.
41 Comments
I think this is fair. I like him, but we do need to make the playoffs this year.
It’ll be a test for him and his staff to show that they can teach this team to play tight, defensive hockey.
I don’t think he’s in danger of being fired unless he has a 23-24 oilers start to the season. Playoffs are likely an expectation at this point but I wouldn’t be shocked at some regression as well if Edvinsson Johansson and Berggren all have some rookie struggles.
Really we should’ve made playoffs last season but shit just didn’t quite shake out that way and it’s not all on Lalonde
He’s not in the hot seat when this is the first year realistically the teams management seems to have some expectations
This is a nothing burger like people that want Yzerman fired for draft picks
It is….. not completely fair but him not righting the ship until the 11th hour is a bad look and t cost us.
If we go on another extended losing streak he’s gotta get fired/not rehired
He even said he needed to do better working with a depleted line up.
The January slump with Larkin,Compher,Perron and Husso being gone was pretty understandable
The March debacle is unforgivable.
Meh.
Took the team from 80 pts first year to 91 the second. Trend suggests we get 100 pts this year and punch a ticket.
If that doesn’t happen, onboard with a reorg.
That’s kinda ridiculous imo. I don’t see Yzerman firing him. Wings are playing better than they have in years, and their style is fun to watch under Lalonde. Nobody seems to expect Detroit to make the playoffs anyway.
Yzerman said the expectations for next year are similar to last year
If we bottom out and are a 75-80 point team, yeah he’s probably gone
But if we just miss playoffs by 1-5 points and the young players show growth then he’s probably safe barring the room turning on him
I didn’t really think Yzerman has Lalonde on as hot of a seat as the media/fans think. Sure, the rebuild has taken a while and we’re getting impatient, but I didn’t really see this team as being held back by the coach, in the way that someone different/better than Lalonde can get a ton more out of this team. There are clear flaws in the roster, particularly in goal and on defense, and they need a better #2 center for sure. Lalonde isn’t the key guy making those decisions.
I’ve heard on some hockey podcasts wondering if Yzerman is as good as people claim he is, and if he should be on the hot seat. I don’t think he’s there… Yet… But it does seem like some are becoming impatient with Yzerman, and if he is feeling heat, sometimes changing the coach is a way to deflect some criticism for a little bit at least.
I think Lalonde is safe this year, but the team can’t take a step back. How this year goes determines how hot his seat is next (2025-26) season, in my opinion. Unless this team is real bad in the first half, then Lalonde’s seat can heat up fast.
If he was on another team that didn’t have fans that thought their GM is infallible then he would be on the hot seat
There’s no fucking way lmao.
I swear national reporters do not understand this team at all.
Makes so much sense I can’t believe questioning his coaching was met with so many tantrums by wings fans in this sub.
And replace him with who? A new young head coach from the minors or a seasoned vet. It’s really easy to call for someone’s head but what options are they providing.
Newsie ain’t going anywhere, yet. This is Stevie Y’s show. Lalonde is just managing it
Well deserved spot for him.
When is the last time Detroit fired a coach midseason?
Last year for him if we don’t make the playoffs
Unless there is a serious collapse this year there’s no way. I guarantee Stevie blames himself more than Lalonde for the shortcomings the team has had lately. What is Newsie supposed to do with this defense and a revolving door of goalies
Larkin and Kane have a lot of positives to say about the guy and his ability to hold player’s accountable, and that means more to me than the media’s interpretation.
We need a 1C more than a new coach
What exactly is wrong with this statement? If they miss the playoffs next year (barring the rest of the East being significantly better than this past year) he absolutely should be gone. Following up a historic choke job with a backslide would be grounds for termination.
I think the WWP guys put it best. Yzerman hasn’t made the over all moves to put playoffs into the expected collumn. So he cannot really blame lalonde if they perform to the same level. I can’t see Stevie firing him unless we fall off a cliff.
Short of some trainwreck, this just couldn’t be further from the truth. That’s not even opinion – Yzerman said this during the end of season press. He all but confirmed he was planning to extend Lalonde and pointed to the culture, progress, and how well the players liked him.
As frustrated by the lack of playoffs many fans may be, there’s just no indication that he’d be considered on the hot seat let alone in the hottest.
By who? Would be wiser to include a source.
Are we supposed to change our minds on him based on someone on the internet having written a blog?
Who else is there to fire there have been like a dozen fired in the last year.
He’s not.
If there’s another December or March collapse and we miss the playoffs again this upcoming season, then yeah I could absolutely see him being let go.
They stuck with Blash through intensely poor seasons. How they gonna fire Lalonde after some really promising progress?
I feel like the easiest way to get to this conclusion is that the majority of the coaches in the league either recently made the playoffs or have been on the job for less time than Lalonde.
i think if the Wings get off to a slow start Yzerman won’t be afraid to pull the plug early on Lalonde next season
Ok lets say hypothetically we fire him….Who do we hire?
I think they only way his job is in trouble is if they are really bad
My thinking is this:
If Dylan goes down again for a few games, and this team falls apart, again, I think at this point that is on the coach. If our roster gets shaken up, and this team goes on another *long* loosing streak, THAT is when I think we see Newsy in the hot seat.
But not right now. If this team continues to fall apart when one or two starters comes off the roster, that is on the coaching, and then I’ll expect change.
Whole bunch of jobs just turned over, so he may very well be on the league’s hottest seat, even if it’s not very hot
Lalonde is playing the Guy Boucher role. When Yzerman feels like the roster is ready to compete, he’ll get the coach he knows he needs.
He’s got a whole off-season to adjust his system and tinker with the lineup. The public models have shown pretty awful underlying numbers the last two years but I think he’s gonna be given a decent amount of runway to work with
I’ve been disappointed in team defense, given his reputation. But I’m trying to be patient, understanding that many of the players on the roster were not great defenders
Comment #69
Two years in a row under Lalonde, this team has incurred lengthy, major collapses. These weren’t just slumps. This past season, it cost them the playoffs. He shouldn’t survive another such drought. Whether Yzerman agrees is anyone’s guess – but Lalonde is not a tenured coach with a track record to fall back upon. No one is expecting to see the ’76 Canadiens or ’02 Red Wings out there given this lineup – but the wheels cannot realistically fall off again for weeks at a time. That’s on the coaching staff to avoid such pitfalls.
If this was any other team I would say this is true. But the DRWs have been very loyal to their coaches. I somehow doubt that Stevie would give him the boot during the season unless we come out of the chute and totally shit the bed.