According to MLive’s Ansar Khan, both Red Wings prospects Carter Mazur and William Wallinder need to have strong showings over the course of the final two exhibition games in order to crack Detroit’s lineup, as coach Todd McLellan suggested:
“We have a numbers issue with the NHL group; there’s just too many defensemen and forwards,” coach Todd McLellan said. “We chose to go a certain route, so Maze and Wally went on the other side. I still think there’s more in both of them, to tell you the truth, in exhibition season. I wouldn’t read too much into Group A and Group B.
“I told the players this at training camp last year; there were 10 players that were, if you want to label them, the B team or looks like the American League team, 10 different ones that played on our club during the year. One played the whole year, Emmitt Finnie. Axe (Sandin-Pellikka) was here almost the full year. (Michael Brandsegg-Nygard) started. So, there were a lot of individuals in that (second) group that ended up over here.”
The Red Wings need more scoring and more grit from their bottom-six forwards. Mazur produced 11 goals in 16 regular season games and five goals in eight playoff games during an injury-shortened season the Griffins.
“Every year I wanted to be a part of this team and make the team, so I feel like I kind of have that urgency no matter what,” Mazur said. “But I would say now it’s a little more. I think being in this organization for four years, it’s my time to really show what I can do and take over and claim a spot.”
Khan also provides an update on Dylan Larkin’s status as #71 attempts to battle back from an upper-body injury:
“He’s just skating and feeling his way through; he’s not going as hard as he normally would go,” McLellan said. “He’s not taken a lot of contact yet. So, we’re just happy to have him out there moving around and trying to get through this phase. When we really incorporate him in is when we’ll start paying attention.
“He’ll talk to the training staff about how he’s feeling, and that’s the most important thing right now. So, a little early to talk about what he’s done or hasn’t done in practices.”
