The offseason has officially begun for the Tampa Bay Lightning, and the first moves have been made. Assistant coach Jeff Blashill and Assistant General Manager and Director of Hockey Ops Mathieu Darche both find themselves a part of new clubs, with Blashill joining the Chicago Blackhawks as their new Head Coach, and Darche being hired to fill Lou Lamoriello’s shoes as the New York Islanders’ GM and Executive Vice President.
Jeff Blashill joined the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2022, coming off a less-than-stellar tenure with the Detroit Red Wings. Blashill served seven years as the bench boss in Detroit, during which the team only made the playoffs once, in his first year. Finishing his tenure in Detroit with a 204-261-72 record, Blashill spent very little time away from the bench, joining the Lightning the following season as Assistant Coach to Jon Cooper. The Lightning enjoyed regular-season success with Blashill lending support, but during his three years, the Lightning suffered three straight first-round exits, not to any direct fault of his own.
That being said, some change was going to be necessary for Tampa Bay moving forward, and this departure seems like the right move for both sides. Tampa will recruit a new voice onto the bench, and Blashill now has a very exciting new opportunity in Chicago, an opportunity that brings him back to a Head Coaching position. Chicago will be hoping that Blashill’s former developmental coaching days will pay dividends for their young cast, and that his time under future Hall of Famer Jon Cooper lends experience that separates him from his frustrations in Detroit.
Darche Goes To New York
Higher up on the managerial food chain, the Tampa Bay Lightning also parted ways with Director of Hockey Ops and Assistant General Manager Mathieu Darche. The 48-year-old has served as Director of Hockey Ops for the last 6 years, as well as Assistant General Manager to Julien Brisbois for the last three seasons, and as the feather in his cap, hoisted the Stanley Cup twice with the Lightning. Darche is considered to be one of the bright young hockey minds emerging and vying for General Manager roles, and he will now get that opportunity on Long Island. With many interesting decisions to be made, his work will be cut out for him.
These departures mark the first steps toward a journey back to the promised land. With vacant positions and opportunities for new voices, it can be a step in the right direction, but leaps and bounds it is not. There is work still to be done, and fans are eager to see what GM Julien Brisbois may have in store for a shake-up in the roster. There is a need to get younger, but a lack of draft picks to do so.
The Lightning will have to get creative with any prospective trades and signings this offseason, along with some forward-thinking drafting within the later rounds that which the Lightning still hold picks. It’s a long way away until July 1st free agency, and a longer way still to the start of next season, and there is lots left still to do.
