The Detroit Red Wings played their eighth and final exhibition game in 11 days Saturday afternoon, missing several regulars due to injuries.
Their fatigue was evident in a 3-1 to the loss to the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center. But it helped to have a preseason, as opposed to only three intrasquad scrimmages prior to last season.
“It’s good to go through them, it’s experience for a number of guys,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “It kind of shows how hard the league is on a night to night basis. Certainly, these aren’t the teams we’re going to face in terms of the makeup of the roster. There’s going to be a lot better players in the lineup. It does show our young guys the relentless nature of the league. You have to show up every single night and find a way to have a great ‘B’ game when you don’t quite have your best stuff. It’s good for evaluation purposes.”
The Red Wings (4-4 in preseason) open the regular season Thursday against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning at Little Caesars Arena.
They must set their season-opening 23-man roster by Tuesday.
The only decisions are at forward, and they could be impacted by injuries. Blashill said nobody other than Jakub Vrana (shoulder surgery, out four months) has been ruled for the opener, but they will know more Monday at practice.
Michael Rasmussen and Givani Smith have been dealing with what Blashill described as day-to-day injuries. Dylan Larkin, Robby Fabbri, Adam Erne and Vladislav Namestnikov also did not play Saturday, preventing the team from having a “dress rehearsal” in the exhibition finale.
“We don’t know who’s going to be available and who’s not,” Blashill said. “We’re taking it day by day. We’ll make (roster) decisions when we have to make decisions and not before that.”
The Red Wings might be inclined to sign veteran right wing Bobby Ryan, in camp on a tryout. He had two goals and two assists in six games and could slot into the top six with his offensive ability as Vrana’s replacement. Ryan’s right-handed shot and leadership ability also would be assets.
The Red Wings have several young players pushing for job, mostly notably former first-round picks Joe Veleno and Lucas Raymond, who are waiver-exempt, and Taro Hirose, who is not waiver-exempt.
Veleno and Raymond will make the NHL roster only if they are playing significant roles, otherwise the club would prefer to start them with the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins, where they would log a lot of ice time in all situations.
“In some games, some of the young guys played well, and in some games, they didn’t play quite as well,” Blashill said. “It’s a hard league. It’s an everyday league. We had some guys play a lot of hockey and were certainly tired. They looked tired tonight. We had no legs at all. Part of that could be the mental strain over time. You got to learn to make sure you’re on top of your game every night. But overall, some guys pushed (for jobs).”
Raymond led the team with six points in six preseason games (two goals, four assists) but wasn’t as effective his final three games (no points).
“The game against Chicago (Oct. 4) kind of culminated what I thought were a couple good games in a row and he was excellent in that game,” Blashill said. “It’s hard for any player to be excellent every night. Did he get tired? I can’t answer that. He’s played a lot of hockey, just like a couple other guys. Bobby Ryan has played a lot, Veleno has played a lot. Did that show as it went along? I’m not sure. You got to find ways to be effective when you don’t quite have your legs, and it’s a learning process.”
More: Roster decisions looming at forward
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