In Red Wings Land

What Red Wings’ recent play means for Jeff Blashill, draft lottery odds | MLive

Lots of love for Jeff Blashill in this one. Has the Red Wings recent play given you a change of heart about the head coach returning next season?

Also, minor sidebar...

As much as the Red Wings would love to win the April 9 lottery, they’ll be happy with the second or third pick, too. That would assure them of getting one of wingers Kaapo Kakko or Vasily Podkolzin.

One of these things is not like the other.

I’d be WAY less happy about drafting third instead of second. Kakko is a tier above Podkolzin. It’s him and Jack Hughes... and then everyone else.

Around the League

31 Thoughts: Will NHL players fight for change to playoff format? | Sportsnet

27. With two weeks to go in the season, three forwards are averaging 18 minutes of even-strength ice-time per game. That’s Connor McDavid (18:51), Patrick Kane (18:40) and Dylan Larkin (18:04). Since the NHL began to track this two decades ago, there’s never been a season where three players broke 18.

That’s cool. Dylan Larkin is having himself a heck of a season.