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His Future Uncertain, Howard Hits Milestone |
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Jimmy Howard will get the start Thursday for the Detroit Red Wings as they play host to the Ottawa Senators at Little Caesars Arena.
It will be the 500th game of Howard’s NHL career, all with the Red Wings.
Will there be a 600th game wearing the Winged Wheel in Howard’s future?
Your guess is as good as his.
Howard, 34, will be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end and insists that there’s been little progress with the team in terms of negotiating a new pact.
“No, not much,” Howard told Mlive.com. “Right now it’s pretty much wait and see.
“Obviously I’d love to stay here. I don’t have a crystal ball but I would love to return here.”
Red Wings GM Ken Holland indicated last week that he intended to ramp up efforts to get new deals with three of the team’s potential UFAs - Howard, right-winger Gustav Nyquist and defenseman Nick Jensen. All would be coveted additions by other teams prior to the Feb. 25 NHL trade deadline.
“I don’t even give it any thought,” Howard said of the thought that he could be traded. “I’d be naive if I said I didn’t realize that it possibly could happen.”
A few years back, when he was struggling with his game, the thought of Howard reaching 500 NHL games, let alone 500 with the Red Wings, seemed remote. But he spent the off-season in 2016, restructuring the foundation of his game and it has paid dividends. Howard was selected to the NHL All-Star Game this season.
“It was just going to work, changing my game, not being as aggressive,” Howard explained.
Howard is third goalie in Wings history to play 500 games for the team, trailing only Terry Sawchuk (734) and Chris Osgood (565). Among goalies who spent their entire NHL career with Detroit, Howard is the runaway leader. Greg Stefan (299) is second.
Frk Clears
Right-winger Martin Frk cleared NHL waivers and was assigned to AHL Grand Rapids by the Wings. Frk had 1-4-5 totals in 25 games this season, and was a healthy scratch for 27 games.
“I’m kind of glad it’s finally happened,” Frk said. “It just was frustrating a little bit. I tried not to show it.”
Yo, Murphy
With the announcement that Darren Eliot was leaving to become Vice President, Hockey Programming and Facility Operations for the Vegas Golden Knights, Fox Sports Detroit recalled an old hand to their Red Wings broadcast team.
Hall of Fame defenseman Larry Murphy, who won two of his four Stanley Cups as a Wing, is back. Murphy previously worked on the broadcasts until he was dropped in 2013.
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