UPDATE - Brendan Smith was activated from IRL Sunday morning and Xavier Ouellet was assigned to AHL Grand Rapids.
Brendan Smith is expected to be cleared to play for the Detroit Red Wings in Sunday’s afternoon game at Joe Louis Arena against the Vancouver Canucks and barring any last-minute setbacks, that means Xavier Ouellet will be on his way back to AHL Grand Rapids.
“It sounds like he might be ready to go, but we’ll find out tomorrow whether he’s cleared or not,… Detroit coach Mike Babcock said.
Smith, out since suffering an infected hand when he punched Columbus forward Nick Foligno in the teeth when they fought in a Nov. 18 game, hasn’t been told for sure that he’ll be suiting up.
“I feel like I’m ready,… Smith said. “It’s not really up to me. It’s up to the hand and the infection.
“I just leave that up to the doctor.…
While Ouellet has played well during Smith’s absence, he can still be returned to the minor leagues without passing through NHL waivers and therefore is caught up in a numbers game. “X has done a great job, obviously, that hasn’t been an issue for us,… Babcock said. “But it’s important to get Smitty back and playing like he can. He’s a competitive guy, he can really help. I don’t see him having a setback here. “He might be a little out of condition but he’ll come back and get going.…
Ouellet, who scored his first NHL goal in Friday’s win at New Jersey, understands how the system works and won’t pout when the expected news arrives that he’s on his way back to Grand Rapids.
“I mean my goal is to be here,… Ouellet said. “That’s what I want to do. I want to play for the Red Wings. It’s going to be a little shock, but that’s part of the business.
“I have no control on what’s coming. I just have to focus on my game, keep playing well. I think I’ve done a lot of good stuff here. Every opportunity I have, I have to be good. I have to show them every time that I can play. I think I’ve been doing that.
“It’s an experience for me, a learning process. Being around these guys is a good thing for my career. If I go back there I’ll keep doing what I’m doing, keep playing hard and stay ready if they need me.…
He’ll be taking a souvenir with him when the news does arrive – the puck from his inaugural NHL tally.
“Yeah,… Ouellet said. “I’ll keep it.…
Maybe, Maybe Not Babcock experimented with new line combinations during Saturday’s practice, but wouldn’t guarantee that’s what would be seen on the ice come Sunday afternoon.
He put Pavel Datsyuk between Henrik Zetterberg and Justin Abdelkader and Darren Helm between Stephen Weiss and Johan Franzen, while Riley Sheahan worked with Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist on his wings. The Luke Glendening-Drew Miller-Tomas Jurco trio was the only unit that remained intact from Friday’s game.
“I don’t know for sure,… Babcock said of whether he’d switch things up. “I’ve got tonight to think about it. I’m going to watch (tape of) the rest of (Friday’s) Vancouver(-Columbus) game and try to put us in the best situation.
“Our lines were good the way they were yesterday, so I haven’t decided 100 percent what I’m doing tomorrow.…
Detroit’s scoring depth is one element that is playing into Babcock’s consideration of reuniting Zetterberg and Datsyuk.
“I like them playing together and I think we’ve got enough other players now,… Babcock said. “Before, we didn’t have as much depth. Now Nyquist has 10 goals, Tatar has nine. Mule (Franzen) has (six); Abby’s got (seven). And then Helmer’s game is starting to come, too. Weiss has five points in three games. So when you look at that, we’ve got lots of guys (scoring), so we can spread it out more than we used to be able to.
“We never had this many guys scoring in the past. We have more guys that are battling for those top-six forward jobs, which is positive.…
Miller Time It will be Red Wings Drew vs. Vancouver’s Ryan as the Miller brothers who both played college hockey at nearby Michigan State tangle yet again.
“It’s fun to play against him,… said Drew, who scored his first goal of the season Friday while Ryan was posting his second straight shutout as Vancouver blanked Columbus. “I’m looking forward to it.
“The family enjoys it. A lot of friends and family will be at the game. It’s more for them. For us it’s fun, but it kind of blends into being another game, too.…
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