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Red Wings seek more production from their defensemen

September 27, 2015, 5:46 PM ET [9 Comments]
Bob Duff
Detroit Red Wings Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
The Detroit Red Wings anticipate that their defense will be much more offensive this season – in a good way, mind you.

The addition of the potent Mike Green as a free agent virtually assures that the Detroit back end will be a more productive entity.

“We have to score more goals to be successful and he’s going to add to that,” Detroit defenseman Kyle Quincey said of Green, the last NHL defender to enjoy a 30-goal season. “So that’s No. 1 to what he brings, I think.”

It’s not just about Green, though. As a whole, the defensive corps hopes to see an uptick in goals and points during the 2015-16 NHL campaign.

“Yeah, we were talking about that,” Quincey said. “Our system is a little bit more about trying to create more offense from the back end.

“Yeah that would be great. That’s always the plan but hopefully things keep going the way they’re going. At the same time our first job is to keep it out of our net. If we get opportunities to jump in, we will. Otherwise our first job is to keep it out of our net.”

Had Green, who collected 45 points for the Washington Capitals last season, been a Red Wing then, he would have led all Detroit defenders in scoring. As it was, Niklas Kronwall (44 points) was the only Detroit rearguard to rank among the top 40 in scoring.

“We’d like to get more offensive production from our D-men,” Detroit coach Jeff Blashill acknowledged. “We think we have the ability to, but the reverse of that is you don’t want to give up more chances. So what we try to do is try to increase our reward without taking any added risk.

“That’s a learned process that we’re going to continue to work on. But we look at that as an area we could potentially get more production from.”

One defenseman who could be part of the trend toward more offense is Brendan Smith. He collected just 13 points last season and his career high as an NHLer is 19, but Smith was a 52-point man one season in college at Wisconsin and Blashill plans to take some of the shackles off Smith, who was utilized more in a defense-first and penalty-killing role under previous coach Mike Babcock, with thoughts of deploying Smith on the power play.

“I didn’t really have that chance (under Babcock) but there’s a lot more, maybe confidence in the sense that I can step into a role like that,” Smith said. “I guess it gives me a little bit more of a green light to make plays and stuff, which is exciting.

“It’s something I haven’t done since Grand Rapids (of the AHL). It was something I did a little bit of in college as well.”

Jumping into the rush, actively pursuing offensive opportunities, it’s a different style than the defenseman were used to playing under Babcock.

“Being above guys and playing safe in certain areas,” Smith explained as to their priorities under Babcock. “We kind of had that engraved as to how to do things right.

“I think having Blash here you have a different atmosphere, a different style and I think that’s going to help our team. And I think a lot of guys are excited.

“If you talk to everybody I think a lot of people are excited for our change, and sometimes change is fun.”

Change also means others will be required to alter their reads on the ice. Forwards will need to be certain to back up the defense in terms of positioning whenever a defender opts to head out on an offensive foray.

“One hundred per cent,” Blashill said. “I think this team does a real good job at getting back above, I think they have for a long time. I think it’s probably a bigger thing in terms of managing the puck, once you do get D involved in the offensive zone.
“If you turn pucks over that back guard isn’t necessary there to bail you out, so that’s where you’ve really got to manage the puck.”

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