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Kronwall's Future: It's His Call |
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Even though he originally suggested he didn’t have much to offer, Steve Yzerman clarified quite a lot when it comes to the future of defenseman Niklas Kronwall with the Detroit Red Wings.
“Not for the media,” was Wings GM Yzerman’s response to a request for an update on Kronwall’s status during the NHL entry draft on Saturday.
“Nik’s going to take the summer. We talked. I’m going to plan. We’re going to go about our business. Nothing really changes.”
Yzerman did mae one point completely solid - there’s an opening on the Detroit blueline awaiting Kronwall if the 38-year-old Swede determines that he wants it.
“If Nik wants to come back and play, he’ll have a spot on the team,” Yzerman said. “I don’t anticipate giving you anything until the end of the summer.”
Free Agent Period
Monday was the first day that teams could officially communicate with unrestricted free agents, and Yzerman intended to let his fingers do the walking.
“I’ll make a lot of phone calls, yeah,” Yzerman said.
“I’m going to make some calls and see. There’s players we’re interested in. You get a feel if they have any interest in coming to Detroit and what the parameters of what they’re looking for.
“We have spots on the roster available. I would look, before a trade, at free agency to fill those roster spots. I also want to have some opportunity for our younger players to fill those spots, but we will look at free agency. But I’m not going to sign a free agent just to sign a free agent.
“The player has to fit what we’re trying to do - the contract, the term of the contract and the value of the contract have to fit.”
Wings UFAs
Forwards Thomas Vanek and forward/defenseman Luke Witkowski are, like Kronwall, unrestricted free agents come July 1, and it would certainly appear that neither has a future wearing the winged wheel.
I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Witkowski said.
Even if this proves to be the end of his two-season run in Detroit, Witkowski, from Holland Mich., is still proud that he got to suit up with the NHL team in his home state.
“I don’t know how many times I’ve said this but it’s kind of a dream come true,” Witkowski said. “I don’t even know that it’s completely sunk in.
“I made it, one, to the NHL, and then to play for the Red Wings. It’s special.”
Development Camp
The Wings have released the roster for their upcoming development camp, which runs Tuesday-Friday at the clubs Belfor practice facility.
Goal: Robbie Beydoun-x, Victor Brattstrom, Drew DeRidder-x, Jesper Eliasson, Kaden Fulcher, Carter Gylander, Filip Larsson, Keith Petruzzelli.
Defense: Seth Barton, Gustav Berglund, Charles-Edouard D'Astous-y, Marc-Olivier Duquette-x, Patrick Holway, Albert Johansson, Kasper Kotkansalo, Owen Lalonde-x, Alex Limoges-x, Gustav Lindstrom, Alec McCrea-y, Cooper Moore, Alec Regula, Moritz Seider, Malte Setkov, Elmer Soderstrom, Odeen Tufto-x, Antti Tuomisto.
Forwards: Jack Adams, Jonatan Berggren, Mathieu Bizier-x, Samuel Bucek-x, Thomas Casey-x, Albin Grewe, Taro Hirose, Otto Kivenmaki, Ryan Kuffner, Troy Loggins-y, Jarid Lukosevicius-y, Gregor MacLeod-y, Robert Mastrosimone, Cody Morgan-x, Chase Pearson, Ethan Phillips, Ryan O’Reilly, Owen Robinson-x, Chad Yetman-x, Joe Veleno, Filip Zadina.
X - Free agent invite
Y - Signed to AHL contract
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