Among the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan’s notebook’s notes, a few quips stand out, including this one from Tyler Bertuzzi:
Many analysts are predicting another long season, and another spring without the playoffs for the Red Wings. Tyler Bertuzzi is using that as fuel to prove those people wrong.
The Wings have missed the playoffs three consecutive seasons, but Bertuzzi said this team expects more.
“Everyone has us not making the playoffs again, and just the same path we’ve been on the last few years,” Bertuzzi said. “We want to change that. Just kind of our ending last year, we were playing real well at the end of the season. We got a couple of new guys, and just more experience from guys, and we have our older guys leading the way.”
Update: Also from Dylan Larkin and Steve Yzerman, via DetroitRedWings.com’s Dana Wakiji:
“This is year two of three where we’re pegged to be a bottom five team in the NHL,” Larkin said. “To me that stings a little bit. We believe in our group. For me, I want our team to come out of this camp healthy. Last year was a tough start. We can’t start like that this year. For us to come out of this camp healthy as a full team and hit the ground running, hopefully we can turn a lot of heads and shock people.”
As for Yzerman, he is thinking big picture when it comes to assessing the team.
“If you’re not competitive you’re not going to play in the NHL. That’s the reality,” Yzerman said. “You have to be competitive on the ice, off the ice. That’s the inner drive that they have. You have to do that to play in the league. For the team, our ultimate goal is to win a Stanley Cup at some point. We want to show improvement in our record. Every year you’re trying to improve.
“But as we sit here in September, we’ll watch the team in October and throughout the entire season, I’m looking at that as we got players that are going to be 20 years old, 19 years old, we got guys that are 35. 36, all at different stages. Are they helping us? Are they making us a better team? Ultimately, part of being a good player is being real competitive.”
