You could say that Jacob De La Rose has gotten to the heart of the matter, and now, the problem is solved.

At least he hopes that it is.

Late in last season on March 19, Wings forward De La Rose was sent to hospital with an accelerated heart beat. It was the second time during the season that he’d suffered such an episode. The previous event occurred during the 2018-19 NHL preseason while he was a member of the Montreal Canadiens.

The Wings claimed De La Rose on waivers from the Habs on Oct. 17, 2018.

He was shut down for the remainder of the season following the second episode, and underwent a surgical procedure on his heart in April to correct the problem.

“Yeah, I feel fine,” De La Rose told Mlive.com. “Everything’s back to normal. I was excited for the season to start.”

After two such episodes in less than a year, De La Rose isn’t shy about admitting the fear he felt inside.

“Obviously, it’s scary when it’s your heart,” he said. “You don’t really know what’s going on. You know right away it’s something serious when it comes to the heart.

“It was the second time it had happened, too. It happened in Montreal in training camp last year, so I kind of knew what it was this time.

“We decided to have a procedure done and everything went well. I knew I was in good hands with the doctors. I feel normal. I had a good summer and was able to work out as usual, so I feel fine and I feel excited to get this season going.”

He’s turned his attention away from his health and put his focus on job security. De La Rose is in a battle for one of the bottom-six forward spots on the team.

“There’s a lot of really good players here, so it’s tough to earn a jersey here,” De La Rose said. “I’m just trying to do my best here every day and show them what I can bring to the team and what they can get from me.

He’s comfortable at center or wing and willing to play wherever the Wings see him fitting into their scheme.

“I’ve played both,” De La Rose said. “Growing up, I played center the whole time and then kind of as I went pro, first in Sweden and kind of my first years in Montreal, they played me at the wing.

“Now I’ve been back and center, so I know I can play both. At this level, you’ve just got to be open for everything. For me, it’s more about earning a job, so I’ll play where they want me to play.”

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