Detroit Red Wings defenseman Danny DeKeyser out 3-4 weeks

“He’s going to be a special player”, said goaltender Jimmy Howard, who made 31 saves against the Maple Leafs. That’s a question that might not be answered by the end of training camp.

When first-year coach Jeff Blashill announces who his starting goalie will be when the Wings open the season at home October 9 against the Toronto Maple Leafs don’t read anything into it.

Slapshotg0al: Not very much. He led the team with 29 goals and was one of five Wings to play in every regular season game. Do you see any other similarities between the two teams? “All that does is keep the heat off the Red Wings”.

Perhaps no player has seen it more than centre Tyler Bozak. The Red Wings group of players, as a whole, are older.

“My job is to be ready to play”, Ouellet said.

Slapshotg0al: I think he’ll miss the people. Blashill has achieved success at every level, from college to the AHL, but if the Wings experience the injury problems of 2013-14 or the goaltending issues of last season, he could face a steep uphill climb toward a 25th consecutive postseason appearance.

“It’s exciting”, Franzen said.

Gunnar: Datsyuk and Zetterberg. “So, all in all, a good preseason, a lot of fun”.

Where to go and how to get there has been a work in progress, as you would expect it to be. I’ve played a couple games here.

He was examined by doctors at the arena, but underwent further evaluation when the team arrived back in Detroit Thursday morning. Yes, I understand it’s just the preseason.

“You can’t play if you’re going to turn pucks over”, Babcock said. That’s when it counts, but that may be when the team loses the young defenseman anyways. He plays in all situations, including the penalty kill and power play. Hes been a top-four defenseman lots of moments in his career. “I was able to go through playoff runs where, unfortunately, they were done, but he was able to follow us and help me through a few of that process. “So he’s somebody we certainly feel comfortable playing in those roles”. “One, does he make our team better?” Aside from “everything”, what do you like most about the difference between Babcock’s system and the previous one?

Slapshotg0al: The overwhelming response is absolutely.

But Blashill didn’t say no either. Im kind of getting used to the atmosphere of having to perform.

If Larkin isn’t playing at least around a dozen minutes in Detroit, he’d be better off as a 20-minute go-to guy in Grand Rapids. “Maybe the coaches know, but just to find out where I’ll be living or what’s happening – I’m kind of sick of the hotel”. He was expected to be partnered with Mike Green on the team’s second defensive line. “I don’t know if there’s more pressure now than before”. “It’s something that I want and it’s something that I’ve worked for for my whole life and I dreamed of”. In three games with Cape Breton this season, he has picked up six points (three goals, three assists), a plus-four rating and recorded 15 shots on goal.