Detroit Red Wings hire Dan Bylsma as assistant coach

Red Wings officially hire Dan Bylsma as assistant coach

GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 18: Head coach Dan Bylsma of the Buffalo Sabres watches from the bench during the NHL game against the Arizona Coyotes at Gila River Arena on January 18, 2016 in Glendale, Arizona. The Sabres defeated the Coyotes 2-1. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

After some buzz earlier in the week, the Detroit Red Wings have hired Dan Bylsma as an assistant coach.

After a long run of playoff berths, the Detroit Red Wings have missed the postseason in back-to-back years.

Jeff Blashill will be back for a fourth season as head coach, but after some speculation earlier in the week the Red Wings announced the hiring of Dan Bylsma as an assistant coach on Friday.

After being fired by the Buffalo Sabres in 2017, Bylsma spent this past season working for NHL Network. His tenure in Buffalo did not go as planned, with a 68-73-23 record and zero playoff appearances, and rumors of Jack Eichel wanting him out forced the Sabres to make a change.

But Bylsma won a Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009, after he took over in the middle of the season. But Pittsburgh never got back to a Stanley Cup Final in a full season under Bylsma, and second round playoff exit in 2014 doomed him to be fired.

The amount of time Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin missed when Bylsma was the Penguins coach is noteworthy. He won the Jack Adams Award in 2011, given to the league’s best coach, he had a 252-117-32 regular season record over parts of six seasons with the Penguins.

Overall Bylsma has a 320-190-55 regular season record as an NHL head coach, with a 43-35 mark in the postseason.

Blashill is going into the final year of his contract, so he’s clearly on the hot seat barring a surprise contract extension. But he apparently does not see Bylsma as a threat to his job security.

"I know that Dan will make a great impact on our team, and we’re excited to add him to the bench. His resume speaks for itself, including the Stanley Cup championship and Jack Adams Award.I also had the unique opportunity to work with Dan at this year’s World Championship, and that experience leaves no doubt that Dan will bring innovative ideas and tremendous attention to detail to our coaching staff."

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Bylsma deserves another chance to be an NHL head coach. He didn’t seem to be a serious candidate for any openings in this year’s carousel, but this time next year it’s easy to see him as the Red Wings’ new head coach heading into the draft.

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