Notes: DeKeyser returns to the lineup, should be ready for home opener

DETROIT -- At least one of the injured veteran defenseman is ready to go.
Danny DeKeyser returns to the lineup tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs for the final preseason game.

"I feel good and I'm looking to get back in the lineup," DeKeyser said. "This will be my third game. I think that's plenty of games for the preseason. I few good practices this week and I'll be ready to go."

Mike Green skated on his own at the BELFOR Training Center but Wings coach Jeff Blashill said he will not play in Thursday's home opener against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
"It's good that he's skating," Blashill said. "I talked to our training staff today and they can't give me any kind of real time line yet, so we'll just keep taking it day by day in a sense that we hope to keep seeing how he progresses. We'll take another blood look and see where his numbers are at."
Trevor Daley also skated but will not play against Toronto.
"It's good he skated," Blashill said. "I can't tell you where he'll be on Thursday. I hope he progressed real fast. If he does, he'll be in and if he doesn't, he won't. I know he wants to play."
Blashill said both Daley and Jonathan Ericsson are day to day and that he'd like both to be able to practice Tuesday and Wednesday in order to be in the lineup Thursday.
GAME SEVEN: There are three players who will be playing in their seventh preseason games tonight -- forward Filip Zadina and defensemen Joe Hicketts and Libor Sulak.
"(Kris) Draper told me he played in nine lots so I guess seven's an easier way," Blashill said. "We want as many looks as we can at certain guys. The other thing that I think is important to understand is you can't put everybody on the power play. Like last night, we had a real full lineup, Zadina wasn't on the power play. I'd like to see him on the power play so he's got to play again tonight in order to be on that. Maybe he's on the first unit where it goes out all the time so now you got a little more power play time. Same with (Filip) Hronek, hasn't had lots of time in zone. He's been on the power play but they haven't been able to get set up tons. So hopefully you get a look at that. So it just gives us more opportunities to get looks at different guys and I just believe in getting as many looks as possible."
Zadina has two goals and an assist in six games, Hicketts has one assist and Sulak has two assists.
Hronek, playing in his sixth preseason game, has one assist.
CHOLOWSKI IMPRESSES: The NHL Network's Ray Ferraro was thoroughly impressed with defenseman Dennis Cholowski and said so several times during Saturday night's game against Toronto.
One special highlight came on the power play when Cholowski entered the offensive zone and passed to a wide-open Gustav Nyquist in the middle.

"He's done a good job," Blashill said. "He's got a skill-set that's fairly unique in our D corps in how well he moves the puck and his poise with the puck. I think he's put tons of work in over the last couple years to put himself in position to be poised to make the team but we'll continue to watch tonight and make those decisions. The back-end saucer pass on the power play was an elite, elite play. Not many guys make that play. It was an elite play.
"With that said, there's certainly things he needs to keep getting better at. The biggest thing would be just learning how to end plays earlier. He's got good feet and he's got to learn how to make that stick a defensive weapon and end those plays as early as possible. On the penalty kill last night (John) Tavares came over the line and was able to pull up and hit somebody when (Cholo) should have closed it right away,. That's just one example. But he also seems to have a mind enough to keep getting better at things."
Cholowski is tied with Andreas Athanasiou for second on the team in preseason scoring with six points, trailing Nyquist's seven.
HELM, NYQUIST AND NIELSEN, A LINE IN WAITING? Up in Traverse City, when Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill put wingers Darren Helm and Nyquist on the same line with Frans Nielsen at center, he thought they could become a top-flight trio.
Blashill liked the combination of Nielsen's solid two-way game, Helm's tenacity and Nyquist's skill level.
He thought the three players would complement each other and provide the Wings with a well-balanced line which could handle any game situation.
Nielsen was stoked about the line's potential, telling reporters in Traverse City that he hoped they would stay together because he has a chemistry with Helm and by adding a dynamic offensive player like Nyquist, the line could help address the Red Wings' lack of scoring, which has plagued the team recently.
Once the preseason got underway, Nielsen and Nyquist have mostly played together, but Helm has been moved around a bit.
"Yeah, I would have to assume so, but the way the lines have been juggled right now, I really have no idea," Helm responded when asked if he thought he would start the season with Nielsen and Nyquist. "I think it's a good possibility, I'm sure (Blashill) is juggling lines right now to see who could be a possible fit in the future if things aren't working well or a match that works better than he thinks, so at this point that probably would be my best guess, whether or not that's remotely accurate is another thing.
"I had a lot of fun with Fransie (Nielsen) last year playing with him. He's a reliable guy, works hard, good skill, sees the game really well and you bring in Nyquie (Nyquist), same thing, great skill, he works really hard, too. The three of us, if we can get some early chemistry, we found some in Traverse City, I had played with Gus a couple years back to start the season and we did really well together.
"There's qualities of all three of us that could jell well together and hopefully we get another opportunity and we can make the best of it."
Nyquist is also a fan of the line, but he was also not sure if they're going to be paired together once the Red Wings open the season on Thursday at Little Caesars Arena against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
"I have no feel right now," Nyquist said. "Like Darren said, we've been jumping around trying different combinations trying to see what's been working, that's a question for Blash (Blashill)."
If Blashill isn't tipping his hand to the players, he certainly isn't going to reveal what he's thinking to the hockey press corps, but it is apparent talking to Helm, the Wings' attitude has been influenced by the intense competition during training camp and the preseason.
"There's no doubt it was harder than previous training camps that we've had, but I thought it was all really good stuff that we were doing," Helm said. "It was all relative and had a purpose. I think that's a big thing as to how we're going to have to win games this year, work hard and be relentless and (Blashill) kind of set the tone right off the bat with training camp and hopefully we can continue with these exhibition games, this aggressive, hardworking style of hockey moving forward."
Helm is a relentless player who is always hard on the puck and seems to have a penchant for scoring a big goal.
He knows his game but is always seeking ways to improve.
"(I try) and make things happen, that doesn't always end up on the scoresheet," Helm said. "I think I can come up with a good shift that can kind of turn the table a little bit during the game. I appreciate when I'm called relentless, that's a big part of my game. I like to work hard and make it harder on the other team. I do pride myself on that.
"There's a lot of skilled guys on this team who can score. I don't know if I'm the guy that's always being looked at as much in that aspect. I do try and contribute as much as I can, work as hard as I can and contribute in other ways.
"I don't put a whole lot of pressure statistically on myself off the bat. I think things kind of fall into place. I do look after games how I played - 'did I work hard enough? Did I make the right plays defensively?' -- that kind of stuff. I just want to be consistent and keep pucks out of my net and help contribute a little bit, that's how I gauge my playing right now.
"If points aren't going in, I'll look at myself in a different way and try to bear down a little bit more, but defensive consistency is probably a bigger goal that I want to be able to do."
NYQUIST'S ADJUSTMENT PERIOD: If there is one player who may miss Zetterberg the most on and off the ice it is arguably Nyquist.
He and Zetterberg are tight off the ice and were longtime linemates on the ice.
With Nyquist in the last year of his deal, pundits have speculated Zetterberg's absence could not have come at a worse time for the veteran winger.
"I just want to be the best player I can be, I enjoyed my time playing with Z (Henrik Zetterberg), there have been long stretches in different years where I haven't played with Z," Nyquist said. "I like my game, the last couple of years I haven't put up (the numbers). I think I can score and pass, but the last couple of years it seems I either passed more the one year and the next year you score more, it'd be nice to have an even keel to do both things at the same time and put a good year together and I think I'm capable of doing that, I feel my game is back where it needs to be to do that, so it's just a matter of me going out and showing it."
Nyquist leads the team in points with seven in four games.
Nyquist is encouraged by what he's seeing from the Wings, especially the younger players who are in the mix to make the team.
"There's so many of them right now and they're all doing a great job. They've all been playing great through camp and I wouldn't want to be the one making decisions," Nyquist said. "They've made it tough on the management and the coaching staff.
"All these young D we have knocking on the door, they have different qualities, they're different in the way they play the game, but as a group they complement each other pretty well. It's tough, obviously, they're just going to go out and play the best they can and kind of force management's hand."
He's aware the Red Wings have many detractors with the regular season being less than week away, but what others think doesn't concern him at all.
"We've proven doubters wrong in the past. I feel excited about this year's team, I like the energy in the group right now," Nyquist said. "Hopefully we can come out with a hot start to start the season."
MANTHA'S EDGE: Anthony Mantha has always had an introspective side to him.
Whether things are going well or not, Detroit's leading goal scorer (24) last season always checks in with a sports psychologist to keep himself grounded.
It began in Grand Rapids, when Mantha was having a difficult time adjusting to and accepting the reality he was a Griffin instead of being a Red Wing.
"I had to work with a sports psychologist to kind of get my mind in the right place and I'm still working with him today, we do it through Skype," Mantha said. "During the summer I went up to Quebec City to see him. I think it was twice this summer and a couple of FaceTimes and Skypes.
"We talk about everything a little bit. Hockey is not only what's happening on the ice, it's also what's happening around you. Your whole family, your life, your friends, it kind of goes overall, but there's a bigger percentage about hockey, setting goals, setting small goals every week, setting bigger goals for the season, things like that.
"So it's wide, there's a lot of things to talk about, but obviously, it helps you out a lot at the end of the day."
According to Mantha, the benefit of having someone not from his inner circle to talk to about his game has been invaluable.
"He's not part of your family, so he doesn't choose a side," Mantha said. "If there's a conflict around anywhere, you talk to your family and obviously they'll take your side, but he's going to be neutral and (say), 'Ok, there's this on your side, but did you see this part of the problem?' There's plenty of small details you wouldn't think of and he's there and he can just help.
"It comes down to setting your goals, setting your goals for every two weeks, do this, do that, if it doesn't go your way what can you change? If it does go your way, what did you do well, what did you do bad? It's just, I don't know, an extra edge you're putting on your side, I guess."
It's an edge that has Mantha on the threshold of achieving a much larger goal of becoming an elite goal scorer at the NHL level.