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Wings place Nestrasil on waivers to make room for Weiss |
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UPDATE - Red Wings place D Brendan Smith (infected hand) on short term IRL and recall D Xavier Ouellet from AHL Grand Rapids.
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“It’s a weird feeling,” Detroit Red Wings forward Andrej Nestrasil admitted after being placed on NHL waivers Wednesday.
If he’s not claimed by another NHL team by noon Thursday, the Wings can assign Nestrasil to the Grand Rapids Griffins, their American Hockey League farm club.
"It’s so fresh I really don’t know what the best option would be for me,” Nestrasil said. “Obviously, everybody knows me here. This is the organization I would love to play for, but if someone else claims me, then I would be happy to go somewhere else and play for the organization that claims me. That’s hockey life. You just take it and go with it.”
In 13 games, Nestrasil collected two assists and was minus-three, but lately had often found himself a healthy scratch at game time and he knew that being waived was always a distinct possibility.
“This was a possibility since Day 1,” Nestrasil said. “I think everyone was surprised I was still here. I think if you told me before the season that I’m going to start here and play 13 games I would take it 100 percent.
“Everyone wants to play in the NHL, but on the other hand at least I proved to a lot of people I could play here, especially to myself. It’s a great motivation to go wherever and keep working because I know I can play in this league.”
Detroit coach Mike Babcock made it clear that the team had not given up on Nestrasil.
“He needs to play in the American Hockey League,” Babcock said. “He's not quite ready for this level. It's just one of those things. We need him to play in the American League. Maybe one day he'll play. His pace was good at the start but you know the league changes.
“The best bet for him is to spend a couple years in the American League and see if he can't keep growing his game. I'm not saying someone wouldn't pick him up and go there. I don't know how a kid like that grows playing no minutes and sitting in the crowd.”
Ready To Go
The main reason for Nestrasil going on waivers was to make room for center Stephen Weiss to be activated from the injured list. Weiss intends to test his surgically-repaired groin with some action this weekend for the AHL Griffins.
“I’m going to head to GR tomorrow, meet them and then play Friday and hopefully play Saturday too and come back (to Detroit),” Weiss explained. “The plan is to go and get my feet wet a little bit and play a couple games, play a lot of minutes and then come back and be available to play whenever.”
Weiss could see action for the Wings as early as Monday at Joe Louis Arena against the Ottawa Senators.
“I’ll be back,” Weiss said. “I don’t know if I’ll be playing. That’s up to Babs.”
After a recurrence of pain in the same area where he underwent sports hernia surgery last season, Weiss was shut down for a rest, but feels he’s now back up to speed.
“Everything has been great,” Weiss said. “I’ve had no issues. I’m just really looking forward to playing a game. I’m sick of practicing, bag skating and doing a lot of work after practice. Now it’s time to put it all to work and play some games. That’s the fun part of it.”
If he wants back in the Detroit lineup, Babcock threw the gauntlet down at Weiss’s feet and advised him to earn it.
“He's got to get himself going,” Babcock said. “This business is straightforward. The coach and the management, they play the guys they think can help them win. When you haven't been healthy, you’ve got to get yourself playing.
“We’ve got an obligation to help him help himself so that's what we're trying to do, but his part is to play well so he can get in the lineup and get playing.”
Mrazek in the Net
Petr Mrazek will make his first start of the season in the Wings goal Thursday, when the club continues its three-game road trip with a game at Winnipeg against the Jets.
“That’s what (Detroit goaltending consultant) Jimmy Bedard and (Wings No. 1 goalie) Jimmy (Howard) told me, so it looks like that,” Mrazek said of his season debut. “They’d probably know.
“I’m pretty excited.”
Mrazek, 22, called up when Jonas Gustavsson separated his shoulder, has appeared in a dozen games for the Wings over the past two seasons, so the NHL is nothing new to him.
“It’s I think a little different now than it was two years ago,” Mrazek said. “The first time I came here I didn’t know what to do; I didn’t know what to think about the NHL. I figured it was going to be faster. Now it’s a year and a half since I played my first NHL game, so it’s more comfortable now.”
Injury Update
Add another name to the Detroit injury list. Defenseman Brendan Smith won’t be making the trip to Winnipeg after damaging his hand in a fight with Nick Foligno in Tuesday’s win over Columbus.
“Smith, they're keeping him back,” Babcock said. “He’s got a hand infection from the fight last night. I don't know what happened but that's what's going on.”
Babcock was uncertain as to whether Smith might be able to play Saturday in Toronto, and the status of center Pavel Datsyuk (groin) is also unknown at this point.
“I think Pav's coming on the trip,” Babcock said.
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