Red Wings' Holland hasn't expanded list from Blashill

Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland plans to meet with Jeff Blashill later this week, while also taking in a Grand Rapids Griffins game.

The Griffins are tied 1-1 heading into Thursday's Game 3 of their Western Conference final against the Utica Comets. The Griffins used two goals from newcomer Dylan Larkin to take Game 2 of the best-of-7 series.

Blashill is the leading - and, at the moment, only - candidate to replace Mike Babcock, who left last week to become head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

"I've had some people reach out to me," Holland told the Free Press today, "but as of right now, I haven't expanded the list."

Other names on the market include Dan Bylsma (who is from Grand Haven) and Peter DeBoer (who used to coach the Plymouth Whalers), but Blashill was given a hefty raise last year with the implicit understanding that he would be next in line if Babcock, as he did, opted to leave this summer.

Seidel: Blashill can deal with Wings' veterans

Holland said he wants to talk to Blashill about the Detroit job, but no formal hiring announcement will be made while the Griffins remain in the playoffs. The Griffins play three straight home games before the series would head back to Utica if needed.

The Griffins only just gained the serves of Larkin, 18, who last week announced he was leaving U-M and turning pro. Larkin, the 15th pick overall in last year's draft, scored in his second pro game, with Teemu Pulkkinen and Tyler Bertuzzi also scoring in the 4-2 victory. Pulkkinen, who will be with the Wings full-time next season, has 14 goals in 12 games. Bertuzzi's seven goals are second on the team.

Larkin's two points, incidentally, are one less than Anthony Mantha's three points in 12 AHL playoff games. Mantha was Detroit's first-round pick, 20th overall, in the 2013 NHL entry draft.

Contact Helene St. James: hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames.

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