While the coaching employees and gamers by no means outwardl

While the coaching employees and gamers by no means outwardly expressed
Mlive.com's Ansar Khan is reporting that Detroit Red Wings assistant coach Brad McCrimmon won't be returning to the team to get a fourth time behind the bench. Ryne Sandberg Grey Jersey


McCrimmon's duties in his 3 seasons in Detroit largely centered around coaching and managing the Detroit defense.

At this point, allow me to stage out that the following is purely speculative and although it's according to factual Detroit Red Wings' background, it's essentially just spit-balling.

While the coaching employees and gamers by no means outwardly expressed any frustration with McCrimmon's work, Detroit's declining defensive dominance more than McCrimmon's tenure could indicate that there was certainly a disconnect in between him and Detroit's defensive corps.

Now, what could this probably have to do with Nicklas Lidstrom? Ryne Sandberg Blue Jersey


Well, the timing of this announcement is really a bit odd for your Red Wings.

GM Ken Holland usually avoids generating any personnel decisions public till after the playoffs have ended and often waits until correct prior to coaching camp starts to announce coaching choices.

Indeed, last season, the Red Wings didn't announce head coach Mike Babcock's four-year extension until October, although a offer had apparently been reached in principle prior to coaching camp.

While it's extremely not likely that Lidstrom has something to complete with McCrimmon's departure, it could reveal that the Red Wings are getting ready to not only obvious a route for a new assistant coach, but possibly involve Lidstrom in the decision.

As the Red Wings are incredibly publicly hoping that Lidstrom returns for 1 much more season in Detroit, making McCrimmon's departure public at such an early phase within their off-season could indicate the Wings are ready to entail Lidstrom within their search procedure for McCrimmon's substitute.

If so, this would seem to suggest that Lidstrom is actually leaning towards a return towards the ice, as selecting the coach he and his defensive partners would work with would be a perk befitting Lidstrom's stature with the club and 1 that can sweeten the pot to get a man who has all of the cash and achievement he could ever achieve as an NHL player.

Again, this is all just guessing right here, and I might simply be connecting dots that aren't really there. Nonetheless, the timing of this announcement is conspicuously odd to get a team that generally delays such announcements.

Only time will inform if McCrimmon's departure is connected to Lidstrom's return.