Last year when the Wings missed the playoffs, DeKeyser joined coach Jeff Blashill, forward Dylan Larkin and goaltender Jimmy Howard on Team USA for the International Ice Hockey Federation's men's world championships.
Blashill and Larkin are going to this year's tournament in Denmark next month but DeKeyser isn't an automatic yes anymore.
"I enjoy playing in it," DeKeyser said just before the end of the season. "If they call me, I'd have to think about it and see where I'm at. March was a long month on the road. I'll have to make a decision if they call me."
Although DeKeyser does not want to spend more time away from his young family, there is a reason he might want to go - to build on his strong second half of the year.
In the third game of the season in Dallas, DeKeyser suffered a fractured ankle.
The X-rays did not initially detect the fracture, which ended up keeping DeKeyser out for 17 games from Oct. 12-Nov. 17.
"It was tough missing 17 games and coming back from that still maybe not 100 percent up to where you want to be," DeKeyser said. "Sometimes it can take a little bit. I wish I could've got going a little better right after that, but it wasn't the case. But the second half I thought was a lot better."
In his first 11 games back, DeKeyser did not record any points and was minus-10.
When you have an injury that keeps you off the ice and affects your skating, it can make things a challenge when you come back.
"It's tough to skate on it," DeKeyser said. "It's a fracture, so you just gotta wait and let it heal. That's all we could do."
In the end, DeKeyser finished with six goals, six assists and was plus-2, one of five plus players on the team.
"I definitely felt a lot better in the second half," DeKeyser said. "I felt I was playing a lot better, being more active, skating better and moving better out there. I thought it took me a little bit to get going after that injury. Once I got going, once I got my feet under me, I thought I was a lot better."
DeKeyser, who turned 28 last month, is a lean 6-foot-3, 192 pounds. When he first came to the Wings, they wanted him to gain some weight.
But now, DeKeyser isn't focused on gaining weight.
"I'm pretty comfortable with where I'm at," he said. "For me it's mostly strength-wise. Just being strong, games when I'm out there and I'm feeling strong, that's when I have my best games. Just taking care of my body over the course of the season. Not so much about weight. More concerned with strength."
Although it's been a discouraging two seasons missing the playoffs, DeKeyser has seen some positive signs from the young players.
"(Dylan Larkin) took a big step this year," DeKeyser said. "(Tyler Bertuzzi) came in and showed that he can play here for sure. (Anthony) Mantha obviously scoring goals and (Joe) Hicketts showed he can play, as well as (Evgeny) Svechnikov. Those are guys who are going to be - Hicketts and Svechnikov especially - are going to be coming in and trying to make the team next year, and I think they have a really good chance to."
DeKeyser also believes everyone on the team can take a step towards better overall consistency.
"There's been times during the season when the power play's been really good and there's been times where it hasn't been good. Same with the penalty kill," DeKeyser said. "There would be stretches where we won't give up any goals for five or six games and then we're giving up three goals, four goals over the course of a couple of games.
"Just find that consistency and make sure everyone is playing."
