When Petr Mrazek was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in February, the door was open for Jared Coreau to lay claim to the Detroit Red Wings backup goaltending role behind Jimmy Howard.

As May creeps toward June, which of course is followed by the July free agency season, it looks as though Coreau, 26, who is headed toward unrestricted free agency, will be in the market for a new employer. The door in Detroit is likely closed, Coreau’s window of opportunity to be a Red Wing forever shut.

You can blame it on his poor performance during his late-season recall to Detroit - Coreau was 0-4-1 in seven appearances with a 4.26 goals-against average and .867 save percentage - but he’ll tell you the problems began for him right at the start of the season.

“Slow start,” said Coreau, who began the season 7-8-1 with AHL Grand Rapids. “I think I was a little, I guess bitter with how (Red Wings) camp went. I thought I’d get more of a chance to show what I could do in exhibition games and it definitely affected me earlier on. I’m not afraid to admit it. Everyone could see it. It’s nothing I’ll deny.

“Then we started playing well and had two months there where I was playing really well and was happy to be goaltender of the month for the league and get some wins for the guys. But yeah, the hangover is real. It’s a real thing to overcome and I think you look at the Michael Jordan interview talking about you’re competing with yourself. It’s very true.”

Upon his recall to Detroit, the 6-6, 220-pound Coreau struggled to show signs he had what it takes to be an NHL regular. He didn’t use his size to his advantage. He needed to be more quiet in his movements between the posts but too often was found to be flailing around and easily victimized by NHL shooters.

Coreau would have liked the chance to play more during his late-season stint in Detroit to try to get a better feel for the NHL game.

“I thought it would have been nice to get in a little earlier, being on the streak I was on down (in Grand Rapids),” Coreau said. “But that’s all hindsight. I was just happy to be up there and get to be with really, really good professionals every day like (Henrik) Zetterberg. The list goes on. There’s some great players up there and Jimmy Howard was awesome for me. (Detroit goalie coach) Jeff Salajko, him and I have a pretty good relationship. But I was just happy to be up there, even though it didn’t go very well for me. I was just happy to be in the NHL.”

Whether that is going to prove to be Coreau’s swan song in the Red Wings organization will be known soon enough.

“I always love hearing about guys that go with one organization from start to finish,” Coreau said. “That’s awesome. I think the majority though, I think a lot of guys change organizations. I don’t know what to expect, I don’t know what’s going to happen. I’m grateful for the opportunity that I got here if I don’t come back. It was a world-class organization.

“I was really excited to sign with the Detroit Red Wings out of college. It’ll be tough (to leave). I’ve been in Michigan for eight years with Northern (Michigan). I’ve developed friendships here, even outside of the teams. I’ve got friends in Detroit, I’ve got friends in Grand Rapids, even some in Toledo during my time there.

“So it’ll be tough if I go somewhere else. But always look at it positively. If I go somewhere else, it’s a fresh start. I’ll go into the summer with a game plan and whether I end up here or in a different organization, I’m going to be a better goalie.”

Follow me on Twitter @asktheduffer

Join the Discussion: » 10 Comments » Post New Comment

» Five of Last Six First Rounders To Start Season In AHL

» Zadina, Veleno sent down

» Opening-Night Roster Not Set In Stone

» Back Where Pro Hockey Started

» Abdelkader Looking To Bounce Back