Red Wings Shakeup: Can Maple Leafs Capitalize On Opponent’s Coaching Change To Todd McLellan After Holiday Break?

The Toronto Maple Leafs will take on a new-look Detroit Red Wings squad when they return from the holiday break on Friday.

The Red Wings announced a massive shakeup behind the bench, firing head coach Derek Lalonde and assistant coach Bob Boughner while signing Todd McLellan to a multi-year deal. Trent Yawney will also join the Red Wings as an assistant to McLellan.

The Red Wings are 13-17-4 this season and went into the holiday break on a sour note, being booed out of their own building following a 4-0 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Dec. 23.

McLellan becomes the franchise’s 29th coach in franchise history and finds a landing spot after he was one of several coaches hired for Toronto’s head coaching vacancy that ultimately went to Craig Berube. McLellan was spotted at an airport heading to Toronto as the club was undergoing the search.

Improvement was expected from the Red Wings this season as their young core of Moritz Seider and Lukas Raymons mature. But the way things had been going they appear set to miss the playoffs for the ninth consecutive year, unless the change can get them out of a nose dive.

In hiring McLellan, the Red Wings go with experience for the first time since they had Mike Babcock as coach. Lalonde and his predecessor, Jeff Blashill, never coached in the NHL before. McLellan has 16 years of NHL experience with the San Jose Sharks, Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings with a 598-412-134 record.

The Red Wings defeated the Maple Leafs in Detroit earlier this month.

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