|
DeKeyser a world away from Wings' disappointment |
|
|
|
|
|
When you’re seeking to wipe away the stench of disappointment, is there a more logical destination than Cologne?
That’s where Danny DeKeyser finds himself, ready to suit up Sunday for Team USA against Denmark at the world championship, in point of fact a world away from the letdown of missing the Stanley Cup playoffs with the Detroit Red Wings.
“It would be nice to have a little something positive come out the season,” DeKeyser said. “There wasn’t a whole lot this year.
“In this tournament, it would be nice to make some good plays, win some games and to have a chance to win a gold medal, that would be great.
“Just a positive outcome would be great to finish this year off.”
It certainly was a devastating year for the Wings, who missed the playoffs for the first time since the 1989-90 season, and for DeKeyser, 27. The 6-3, 191-pound defenseman endured by far his worst season in the NHL, producing dismal 4-8-12 numbers in 82 games, as well as an appalling minus-22 rating.
It was the first time in his career that DeKeyser had ever finished as a minus player. He’d been a combined plus-27 as an NHLer entering the 2016-17 campaign.
Fresh off the ink drying on a new, six-year, $30-million pact with the Wings, the downturn in DeKeyser’s game was even more eye-opening.
“I thought I got better toward the second half of the year,” DeKeyser said. “I can’t really put my finger on why I had the struggles I had. Sometimes as a player you go through . . . you have slumps in your game, or you go through lulls where you’re not playing your best and you know that you can play better.
“For me, it just started to pick up toward the end of the season. But like I said, I don’t know why.”
The down time since the end of the NHL regular season has proven to be a time of reflection for DeKeyser as he sought to ascertain why things went so south for both him and the Wings in 2016-17.
His conclusion - a lot of the players - himself included - can give a lot more than they provided during the past campaign.
“Definitely I’ve had some thoughts about the season,” DeKeyser admitted. “How it ended was pretty disappointing for everybody involved - not just the players, but the coaches and the rest of the staff and the organization as well.
“But going into the offseason, trying to make yourself better is what everyone can do, because we know in that locker room we have guys that are more than capable of stepping up, making plays and pushing us up the standings.
“For whatever reason this year, we just didn’t get enough contribution from everybody, including myself. I think we can be better and have a better season next year, make the playoffs and try to make some noise there.”
In the meantime, he hopes to finish on a high note and give himself a step of confidence toward next season by playing well at the worlds.
“It’s a good feeling,” said DeKeyser, who also played at the 2014 world championship. “Walking into the room, there’s a lot of USA stuff, there’s a flag hanging up.
“It means a lot to me to get the opportunity to do this. You want to go represent your country well and make your country proud.”
Follow me on Twitter @asktheduffer
Detroit Red Wings Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»