In past seasons, the NHL preseason was a chance for the recent draft picks of the Detroit Red Wings to sip a cup of coffee and then head back to their development league. This season, the kids are getting a much longer look. The club’s last two first-round draft picks, center Michael Rasmussen (2017) and defenseman Dennis Cholowski (2016), both remain with the big club with less than a week remaining in the exhibition slate. “I think Rasmussen and Cholowski have both played well, so we’ve kept them a little longer,… Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said. “This isn’t keeping them for this season but it’s keeping them for experience to get as many looks as we possibly can. But I think they’ve both played very well. “I think Rasmussen was one of our best players in Chicago, I thought Cholowski was real good, especially as the game went along in Chicago, so if we can get another look at them and they can get another taste of NHL hockey and also get a chance to play in Little Caesars Arena.… Rasmussen gets his next chance in Monday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, and he will do so skating between Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist. “I think it gives us a chance to see obviously a real high pick play with two talented players,… Blashill said. “Ultimately, you drafted him to be an impact player. “He practiced with us yesterday with our main team. He did some things that showed some real high-end skill.… Rasmussen couldn’t hide his delight at the thought of being in the middle of one of the team’s top forward units, even if it is only an exhibition game. “It’s exciting, they’re both good leaders, so I’m real excited to play with them,… said Rasmussen, who has sought to stay within himself as he auditions for the Wings for the first time. “Just be myself, work hard every day and try to get better. I think I’ve done that pretty well and like I said, just try to be myself.… Keeping the future of the team around for a longer look is both a change in philosophy and a harsh reality for the Wings, who know they desperately need an influx of young talent sooner rather than later, or their one-year playoff absence could blossom into a whole new streak that the team seeks no part of whatsoever. Expect Rasmussen and Cholowski to be wearing the winged wheel must quicker than the waits endured by the likes of Nyquist, Tatar and Anthony Mantha. Already, Blashill sees a quantum leap in the development of Cholowski from a year ago. “I’ve seen his confidence grow from prospects tournament through main camp and exhibitions,… Blashill said. “I still think the next step is on the power play, to have command with the puck, to make sure he’s running the power play, he’s not just on the power play. “As he continues to learn to do that and his confidence grows, I think he can be an excellent player.… There was a time when the Wings could afford to be patient with their prospects. That time, like the team’s streak of playoff appearances, has passed. It won’t be this season but the Wings readily recognize that they need Cholowski and Rasmussen to be very good very soon, and for a long time. Follow me on Twitter @asktheduffer
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