The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan posted an article today about Red Wings free agent signing Jacob Bernard-Docker, noting that the 25-year-old defenseman hopes to be a difference-maker on the Wings’ blueline:
“They have a really good, young core of guys [in Detroit], a team that I feel like is just on the bubble,” Bernard-Docker said. “A couple of seasons ago they just missed out on making the playoffs. There’s a lot of potential there, and it’s a team on the right trajectory. I’m super excited to go in there and show what I got and hopefully be a contributor.
“In a way it’s a similar group to where I was in Ottawa, with a real good young core, (just like) Buffalo had a real good core. They’re (the Wings) on that edge of breaking out. There’s a lot of real good players on the team. I’m just pretty pumped about the fit there.”
Not being tendered a qualifying offer by Buffalo surprised Bernard-Docker, who played well with the Sabres after a trade that sent him and Oxford native Josh Norris to Buffalo for Dylan Cozens and Dennis Gilbert. Bernard-Docker had a goal and three assists in 15 games with Buffalo, with a plus-3 rating. In 25 games with Ottawa, Bernard-Docker had a goal and three assists with a plus-2 rating.
Bernard-Docker had four goals and 10 assists, with a minus-7 rating, in 72 games with Ottawa the season before.
With the Wings, Bernard-Docker feels there’s an opportunity to find a role that has thus far been difficult to nail down in the NHL.
“For me, it’s just trying to find a spot where I can come in and carve out a role,” Bernard-Docker said. “I guess Buffalo didn’t quite see that, I guess with the D-men they have there or whatever, so I’m hoping to come in and be someone that can be a guy that is relied upon every night and just be real solid, physical and play my game.”
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