Coach on the hot seat completely buries his star player.

The fact that Detroit Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill is on the hot seat has been one of the worst kept secrets in the National Hockey League this season. 

Not only is Blashill on the hot seat, but things have been so bad for him that the Red Wings were caught actively scouting for a new coach this season when they met with former NHL head coach Dave Tippet.

That's why when Blashill came out and absolutely buried own of his star players after a tough loss to the Edmonton Oilers it caught a great many people off guard. 

"Anthony Mantha has got to be way better," said Blashill after the loss. "Way better. It's not okay to just be a passenger when you're given the opportunity to be an impact player."

Calling out your star player is risky business when there are a great many fans and even pundits suggesting that you should lose your job, so I suppose Blashill at the very least deserves some credit for having the courage to do it. Although blind bravery may not be a good thing if it leads you to make bad decisions that will potentially alienate your players.

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Making things even more awkward for Blashill is the fact that he seemed to rub another one of the big names on the roster the wrong way during the game, when he pulled starting goaltender Jimmy Howard. The move was heavily criticized by fans on social media, and Howard himself appeared to give Blashill a piece of his mind when he came off the ice. 

Mantha has 10 goals and 9 assists in 22 games this season, and while his point production has indeed dipped over the past few games, it hardly seems like enough of a reason to bury him in front of the media. The sand in the hourglass may be running out for the Red Wings' head coach.