Oddsmakers Favoring Fedorov to be Next Coach of Red Wings

Hockey Night In Canada’s Elliotte Friedman perfectly summed up what it’s like trying to decipher the moves of Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman.

“Who knows what Steve Yzerman is going to do?” Friedman said to co-host Jeff Marek during their 32 Throughts podcast while discussing who might be the next head coach of the Red Wings.

Oddsmakers, though, think they have an idea. A betting line has been established on who will be named the next Detroit coach and the name at the top is puzzling, to say the least.

Sergei Fedorov, Yzerman’s old Red Wings teammate, is listed as the +350 favorite. This season, in his first as a head coach, Fedorov led CSKA Moscow to the KHL title. He was named KHL coach of the year.

Odds on Detroit Red Wings Next Coach

For those not fluent in betting, it’s wise to remember that odds are not set based upon who is most likely to get the job. Oddsmakers establish betting lines based on where the action is going. In other words, where or on whom the money is being wagered.

Fedorov An Unlikely Red Wings Favorite

It’s highly unlikely that Yzerman would be hiring Fedorov. Beyond his lack of coaching experience, there’s still bitterness within the organization over how Fedorov departed from Detroit as a free agent in 2003 after turning down an offer that would’ve made him the NHL’s highest-paid player. Yzerman and Fedorov weren’t exactly tight off the ice during their playing days. A coach and a GM are required to interact on a daily basis.

Certainly, the surprise firing of Bruce Cassidy (+450) by the Boston Bruins has thrown a monkey wrench into the plans of all NHL teams currently involved in a coaching search. There’s no question that he’d be of interest to the Red Wings. Cassidy is known as a tough coach, but one of the criticisms heard about his work with the Bruins was that he didn’t relate well to the younger players on the team.

Barry Trotz (+600) is another you can probably cross off the Detroit list. Trotz has his choice of whatever available NHL job he desires. He’s 61 and isn’t going to be looking to join a rebuilding club like the Red Wings.

Lalonde Offering Intriguing Value

There’s certainly some value on this odds board. For example, Tampa Bay Lightning associate coach Derek Lalonde is an intriguing option at +1200. The former head coach of the ECHL Toledo Walleye, Lalonde was brought to the Tampa Bay staff by Yzerman when he was GM of the Lightning.

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Yzerman has made note of the fact that does have a preference for hiring people he knows and can trust.

“I find it difficult to really hire people that you don’t really know, that you haven’t worked with (as opposed to) somebody that you worked closely with and knows kind of the way I want things done or the way I do things,” Yzerman said.