Detroit Red Wings Week In Review: DeKeyser gets waived

The Detroit Red Wings waived Danny DeKeyser in a stunning move Sunday afternoon.

In a similar vein to the waiving of Jonathan Ericsson, it appears that DeKeyser’s time in Detroit is coming to an end. He’s been on the outside looking in for the last few games now and Blashill has been non committal when asked about him. Now we know why.

If DeKeyser clears, he’ll be assigned to either Grand Rapids or the taxi squad. Between injuries, a lack of playing time, and his salary, it seems unlikely another team claims him. He could shift to and from Grand Rapids or the taxi squad but Alex Biega and Dennis Cholowski seem like better bets to be brought to Detroit at this point.

From a contractual standpoint, if the Wings would buy him out in the offseason presuming that he’s no longer seen as an option on the blue line, they would save $3 million next season, having  cap hits of $2 million next season and then $1.5M the season after.

The Red Wings Week in Review

The Red Wings played their best game of the season last night, winning 4-2 over Nashville. Robby Fabbri, Adam Erne, and Luke Glendening all had goals. So too, did Anthony Mantha.

Mantha was dogged early on in the week when he was the recipient of a healthy scratch. This sent the Red Wings fanbase into a tizzy, debating  everything from trade rumors to whether Jeff Blashill has it in for him.  Mantha responded two games later with one of his best games of the season, and then scored a blistering goal last night to put the Wings ahead for good. This, of course, providing more reason why the Red Wings should hold onto the 26-year-old forward.

Detroit looked much better this week and the blowouts against Chicago and Tampa are now far in the rear view mirror. Since their first win that broke the eight game losing streak, Detroit is 2-2, and in each of those losses, were a couple bounces away from having a different outcome. Heck, even the 3-1 loss to Tampa Bay was a much better effort that saw a team hang with the defending champions. All of this, too, has come without Tyler Bertuzzi in the lineup. When he returns, the power play will get a much needed jolt and the 5 on 5 play will benefit as well.

Blashill says as much in his comments after last night’s game.

A few more reflections after what was a far more enjoyable week of hockey:

Troy Stecher is this team’s unsung hero. My God, what a signing by Steve Yzerman. This reminds me a lot of when Ken Holland traded for Brad Stuart, who became a stalwart on the blue line for three seasons, doing little things that go unappreciated until it’s gone. Stecher’s speed and offensive IQ is underrated, and he has singlehandedly driven scoring plays on his own. He’s one of the few defenseman on the team who can successfully carry the puck into

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the zone, create a scoring chance, and then still not be out of position if the rush goes the other way. At just 26, and on an affordable 2-year, $1.7 million deal, his signing is as much of a heist that the Robby Fabbri trade was with St. Louis.

Speaking of Fabbri, what a boon to the offense he’s been. Since returning from Covid protocol, Fabbri has three goals and an assist in six games, showing the hole in the lineup when he’s absent. With each game you can see him returning to the form last year that saw him net 14 goals in 52 games with Detroit.

The power play showed some massive signs of improvement Saturday night, generating chances and finding better passing lanes that opened up scoring opportunities. As written above, when Bertuzzi returns that should open up even more chances for a man advantage desperately looking for help everywhere.

Red Wings Schedule this week

vs Blackhawks – Monday 7:30 pm

vs Blackhawks – Wednesday 7:30 pm

vs Panthers –  Friday 7:00 pm

vs Panthers – Saturday 5:00 pm