In terms of team goals, his first full season as an NHLer didn’t end the way that rookie defensemen Xavier Ouellet would have hoped, but from a personal standpoint he felt that he met a lot of the objectives he’d set out for himself when the season began.

“I think it was a good year for me,” Ouellet, 23, said. “I had a chance, I had opportunities, I got a chance to play first full season in the NHL.

“It was challenging but it was fun. I think it taught me a lot about what it takes to be a regular and play every night. I obviously got a lot of work to do and I’m going to keep doing it.”

While his numbers posted by the 6-1, 208-pound defender won’t wow you - Ouellet posted 3-9-12 numbers in 66 games - there is one stat that jumps at you off the page at you - he was plus-two playing on the blue line for a team that missed the playoffs and finished up 13th overall in the NHL’s Eastern Conference.

Ouellet’s Corsi of 49.18 was again far from overwhelming, but it was second-best among Detroit defensemen who played more than 40 games and finished the season with the Wings. His PDO was an above-average 1013 but his five-on-five zone starts of 48.33 were well down the team list.

“I think my hockey sense and my compete level allowed me to play all these games this year,” Ouellet said. “I’ve obviously got to keep working on a lot of things on the ice but one thing I’m going to do for sure is compete every night.”

Detroit coach Jeff Blashill believes that Ouellet is at his best when he takes a less is more approach to his game. He’s a guy who in order to succeed must play within his abilities and not try to do the things that are not his strengths on the ice.

For him, that means playing a simple game and striving to engineer strong positional play when the puck in not in Detroit’s possession.

“When X plays his best, I think he manages his game real well, and he moves his feet,” Ouellet said. “When he moves his feet and manages the puck, he can be a real good passer but also he’s got to be aware he takes what’s given and not try to do too much. I think when he’s playing his best he’s managing his game real well, he’s moving the puck. When he gets opportunities to move it, he’s skating. When he gets opportunities to skate he’s defending hard.

“I think he did a good job of managing his game.”

Going forward Ouellet knows there’s work to be done in the off-season in order to establish that he not only can play in the league but is a player capable of making a difference and helping the Wings climb back to respectability.

“My goals are going to be a little different this summer,” Ouellet explained. “My goal last summer was to get a little bigger, a little stronger, which I did and I’m happy about. But I think moving on now, I need to work on speed, maybe get a little lighter but stay as strong.

“I think it’s going to be a little different summer. I’m going to try to get a little faster, a little quicker on the ice.”

Ouellet didn’t enjoy what transpired in the won-loss column for the Wings this season and intends to be part of the change in making those numbers turn around.

“I hate losing,” Ouellet said. “That’s something I’m never really going to accept, so whatever the situation is, I’m going to play to win.

“I’m going to show up, I’m going to do my best and go from there.”

Follow me on Twitter @asktheduffer

Join the Discussion: » 1 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