Former player likes post about Jeff Blashill's termination

PUBLICATION

Joshua Deeds
May 2, 2022 (12:31)

SHARE THIS STORY

On the NHL Discussion Instagram, you can see where Evgeny Svechnikov stands on his former coach.

Svechnikov is currently a forward with the Winnipeg Jets, and among the total likes on the post, the silence is deafening.

Svechnikov was Detroit's first-round draft choice in the 2015 NHL entry draft. The Red Wings took him 19th overall out of the QMJHL's Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, where Svehcnikov was a two-time 30-goal scorer.

Svechnikov never replicated the above success during his time in Detroit under Blashill, which seems to point out that Svechnikov may have felt unhappy.

During his short time with the Red Wings, he was sent to Grand Rapids in the AHL and scored 20 goals, which got Evgeny a look. His two games in Detroit were scoreless and then was consequentially sent back down.

During the 2017-2018 campaign, he netted 2 goals and 2 assists, in 14 games and ended up spending the majority of the season in Grand Rapids.

Following the disappointing season, he spent the 2018-2019 season out with a knee injury.

In 2019-2020, after a 51 game campaign in Grand Rapids, with a 8 point total in the NHL, Detroit didn't offer Svechnikov a contract and was picked up by the Winnipeg Jets in free-agency.

ESPN's Greg Wyshynski praised Blashill, who had been with the organization for 11 seasons in total, having previously served as head coach of the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins, but Wyshynski also noted Blashill's poor coaching record (204-261-72) with a team "dedicated to rebuilding through the draft under GM Steve Yzerman."

Blashill had seven seasons to turn Detroit into a winning culture and it seems like Evgeny may have been a casualty of it.

MUST READ