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Detroit will start training camp on December 30th.
Taxi Squads Are limited to 6 players, AHL waiver rules apply. At least one goalie is required. Assuming Larsson and Lindstrom will start the season on the squad.
A 56 game schedule has been agreed upon. While there was some good back and forth on the financials (a big thanks to Farooge for stopping in and giving a different point of view to consider) it seems that the rubber is about to hit the road. Hronek and Zadina have already wrapped up their contracts overseas, and now Mathias Brome is on the way.
George Malik posted a translation of Brome’s goodbye to Orebro (kind of makes you want a sandwich cookie). This is a very good sign for the return to play. It seems like an eternity ago that Brome chose to sign with Detroit (Vancouver was also very interested). Yzerman sealed the Brome-mance with showing a clear opportunity for minutes. Vancouver, much deeper in scoring, would have been a tougher nut to crack to be certain.
At the time, I’d wondered who would center the new free agent signing. Since then, Namestnikov has been added to the mix, and that is an exciting improvement up the middle. It’s hard to know how Brome will translate to the NHL ice, but it’s nice to have another option on wing. Bobby Ryan, another free agent pickup, is certainly going to be eager to make his presence known as well. I’m hoping that Fabbri will have another solid outing, and Filip Zadina had some nice looks overseas.
The most important thing is to find some way to limit the “drop off” from the first to the second line. Last season it was painful. I do want to see LARMANZZI left together. The chemistry those three show is a lot of fun to watch. This is a season where I’m hoping to see fewer goals against (4 is ridiculous), more goals for, and more consistent competitive play. The defense is a bit more mobile and Stecher was my favorite defensive acquisition last summer. It’s not about a “winning season” as much as it is a step in the right direction.
There are still some hoping for a deal with Tampa Bay. Some writers have floated the possibility of Zetterberg’s contract being sent in exchange for (?). The Lightning still have two RFAs to sign and are up against the ceiling. Most off you know I’m a big fan of Tyler Johnson, but it’s clear his value has plummeted. No one grabbed the speeding center/winger off of waivers, so the deal would need more sweetener than old double percolated coffee (tar water). Apparently my wife’s grandpa would “double perk” and it had the consistency of pudding....
Today feels like a day for optimism. Brome was a career European player, so he wouldn’t break off without some fairly solid encouragement from Yzerman. It’s time, once again, to try and guess lines and pairings. Greiss and Bernier should (hopefully) be a more stable tandem, and players will be battling for ice time. That’s a good place to be.
Gustav Lindstrom and Filip Larsson have also been recalled and are on the way. Lindstrom has potential for a bottom pairing D man, but may be odd man out to start the season. These may be “taxi squad” additions. Michael Rasmussen is also on the way. This is a big season for the big centerman. There is now a logjam in the bottom 6 center position, and he needs to take a job. His net front presence has shown promise, he could be a good third line centerman if he uses his size.
Detroit Red Wings Blogger • 
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