Of Red Wings-related note from MLive’s Ansar Khan:
- Khan discusses the Red Wings prospects’ attempts to stand out over the course of this exhibition season as the young players vie for jobs on Detroit’s opening night roster, noting this from coach Todd McLellan…
“Anton [Johansson] would be the surprise for me,” McLellan said. “I had heard real good things about him, but anytime you hear that … young player and is he going to need some time? He might still need that time. We’ll see where tonight goes.”
McLellan called it a competitive camp and said roster decisions will be based on whether the player can help right away.
“Separation has been created,” he said. “There are some obvious individuals that have stepped up, players that haven’t played on our club before that have stepped up, that have done a real good job. They have to continue to grow their game. But it’s starting to come clear to everybody in the organization.”
This from Carter Mazur, who would need waivers to be sent down to Grand Rapids…
“It’s kind of do or die in a way,” Mazur said of the game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Little Caesars Arena (7 p.m., Detroit Sports Net). “It’s a dream of mine to be a part of the Detroit Red Wings, and I feel like I have a lot more to show.”
This from Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, who will play on a line with Mazur and Nate Danielson tonight…
“I’ve done everything I can and felt I had a good preseason so far,” Brandsegg-Nygard said. “I feel more grown and know the game over here a little more. I feel much more confident just being around the group and know everyone. I really want to be here the whole season. I’m going to work hard for that.”
And this from Danielson:
“Sometimes I tend to look for another pass, but I think I’m always just trying to make the right play, whether that’s a pass or a shot,” Danielson said. “I think it’s kind of getting that mindset that if you have a shot, just take it. And especially in this league, if you look for that pass, then that’s often when they get a stick on it.”
2. Khan also posted an article about coach McLellan’s suggestion that the team will start the regular season with three alternate captains, with Khan suggesting that Alex DeBrincat should earn the third “A”:
“We have two letters on individuals right now and there’s a chance we could add a third,” McLellan said. “It will be an ‘A’ and that’s how we’ll go.”
Alex DeBrincat is the most logical choice to wear an ‘A.’
“He’s done a real good job of providing leadership in the void that’s there right now,” McLellan said. “It’s not out of character. He hasn’t changed from what he’s done last year. Maybe away from the rink a little bit more with the guys to bring them together, but at the rink, he’s still Cat, and he would certainly be a candidate to be that (alternate captain).
“The thing with Cat, though, is we could probably put the whole alphabet across his chest, and he would still be Cat. And if we took every letter of the alphabet away from him, he would still be Cat. He’s not going to change who he is based on that little piece of felt.”
