The Free Press’s Helene St. James posted her early-morning article today, and in it she discusses the Red Wings coaching staff’s belief that, for once, 8 exhibition games to be played over the course of 12 nights equals a “just right” exhibition season:
“It’s the first time and the only time in my NHL career that I’ll be happy to have eight games,” [coach Derek] Lalonde said Monday, on the Wings’ last day in Traverse City. “To me six is good, seven is maybe a little too much. Eight seems very excessive. But I understand, there’s a business aspect to it. For us this year, it’s going to be beneficial.”
The rosters will be balanced by minor leaguers to offset the hectic pace — to start, the Wings play at Pittsburgh Tuesday, and host the Chicago Blackhawks Wednesday — but the emphasis is on finding chemistry for the group that will take the ice Oct. 14 when the Wings open the regular season. Lalonde, who is in his first season as head coach, has one line that makes sense to carry over from last year in Dylan Larkin, Tyler Bertuzzi and Lucas Raymond, though Bertuzzi’s status depends on how quickly he re-appears after an undisclosed injury sidelined him the second day of camp. Andrew Copp is recovering from abdominal surgery and expected back the first week of the season. Oskar Sundqvist, who has yet to practice because of an undisclosed injury, is also among those not available. He and Bertuzzi are considered day-to-day.
“It’s a little frustrating to have three or four or five of our top nine out for camp to start, but it’s given an opportunity for other guys to get some looks,” Lalonde said. “Some of our games, we’ll work back from a special-teams standpoint. We’ll have a special-teams unit and try to get that organized and designed, and then we can work back the roster from there with the idea of getting certain guys a certain amount of games, certain amount of looks. It will certainly change throughout.”