This morning, Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff discusses free agent signing Erik Gustafsson’s likely role as the Red Wings’ power play quarterback and de-facto replacement for Shayne Gostisbehere:
[The Red Wings] foresee that like Gostisbehere, Gustafsson will be filling a third-pairing role and be quarterbacking one of their power-play units.
“Erik Gustafsson will replace the Ghost as that offensive, probably on the power play guy,” Detroit GM Steve Yzerman said. “We expect him to be on one of the power play units.”
Knowing he’ll be filling that role and that more will be expected of him is a factor that Gustafsson finds to be exciting.
“I have been playing power play ever since I came over here,” Gustafsson said. “It’s something I like to do and something my game is meant to do. I like to run it and try to give the puck to the forwards to shoot, create lanes and stuff like that. I feel very confident playing on the power play. While I don’t know what’s going to happen, hopefully I can get an opportunity.”
