Theoretically, the Detroit Red Wings will soon face a deadline in regards to rookie forward Michael Rasmussen. At 19 and with one year of junior eligibility remaining, the Wings could simply return Rasmussen to WHL Tri-City before he plays 10 NHL games this season and save burning a year of his entry-level contract. But that doesn’t seem to be an issue of concern in Rasmussen’s case, though it appears likely that he will be a healthy scratch for Friday’s home date with the Winnipeg Jets. “No, we’ll take probably a long-term look at that,… Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said. “We don’t necessarily have to decide by the 10th game. Our feel is we’d like to continue to take a long-term development look at that. “There’s a possibility he’s not in the lineup on Friday but even with that, we’re not going to let necessarily the 10 games dictate 100 percent what we do. We will continue to evaluate it to make what we think is the best long-term decision for him.… Clearly, Rasmussen has looked to be in over his head at times at the NHL level. Many games, you don’t even notice him having any impact on the ice. So the question the Wings must answer is whether there’s anything left for Rasmussen to learn as a junior, or would he be better served staying in the NHL, even if it’s in a limited role, just so he can practice and work with people at hockey’s highest level all season. The Wings seem to be leaning toward the latter option. “Even beyond the 10 games, at the end of the day all that does is get him to free agency one year earlier,… Blashill said. “By that point, at 26, if we don’t know if he’s an elite player or not, then we probably haven’t done enough. “For that sake, it’s not a huge, huge deal. We’re certainly not going to let that pressure us into a decision for him. We want to make sure we do what’s the very best for him long-term. “What’s certainly a huge argument I think can be made that being here, even if he’s not in the lineup every day, can help his development potentially as much as being back where he’s had moments of dominance. “We’re going to take our time with it and make sure that we’re helping him become the best player he can be.… Ehn Down The Wings did make one player move on Thursday - center Christoffer Ehn was assigned to AHL Grand Rapids. Forward Jacob De La Rose, claimed last week on waivers from the Montreal Canadiens, obtained a U.S. work visa and will make his Detroit debut Friday against the Winnipeg Jets. Follow me on Twitter @asktheduffer
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