Notes: Wings face Nyquist for first time since he was traded to Sharks

SAN JOSE -- It's going to be quite odd seeing Gustav Nyquist in the San Jose Sharks' teal tonight.
The Detroit Red Wings sent Nyquist to the Sharks at the trade deadline for a second-round pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft and a conditional third-round pick in the 2020 draft.

"It will definitely be different," defenseman Niklas Kronwall said. "Playing for the Red Wings for all these years, it's definitely going to be weird to see him out there."

Nyquist agreed that it was going to be a strange feeling.
"It'll be different for sure," Nyquist said. "I still keep in touch with a lot of guys on the team, friendships that last for life when you play for that long together. It'll be different for sure but I'm excited."
Before the game, Nyquist admitted it was a little strange the first time he donned the Sharks jersey.
"It was a little different for sure but you get used to it quickly," Nyquist said. "I think my first reaction was I was excited to join a really good team. A lot of emotions obviously, especially when you've played with a team for such a long time, but it's been a great experience so far and it's been an easy transition to come down here. The guys have been great. I've had a blast so far."

Kronwall said he was able to catch up a little bit with his longtime friend on Sunday.
"Obviously you miss him on the ice, his skill, his hockey IQ is very high, very smart player," Kronwall said. "You miss him a lot in the room. He's a good guy to have around, a guy that brings a lot of smiles. We miss him in a lot of ways."
Although he has been keeping in touch with Kronwall and some of the other Wings, Nyquist was happy to be able to see them.
"I met up with a few of the guys," Nyquist said. "It was good to see their faces again. But like I said, you stay in touch with texts and with phone calls. But it was good to see their faces again."
Sharks coach Peter DeBoer told reporters at the Sharks practice facility this morning that Nyquist has fit in quickly.
"He's been great.," DeBoer said. "As advertised, the reports I got on him was great guy, great teammate, plays the right way, easy guy to play, you can put him in multiple situations. He can play on your power play, he can play 5-on-5. When I think about a prototypical Red Wing player, I think that he fits kind of that mold. He's been really good."
In 12 games with the Sharks, Nyquist has three goals and three assists.
"I think just getting comfortable," Nyquist said of the adjustment. "New systems, new ways to think. Sometimes instead of just reacting you gotta stop and think a little bit on the ice so you're sure you're going the right way. The coaches, the guys in the locker room, they've been good. They've been great at explaining, so it's been going pretty good so far."
For the Wings, trading Nyquist allowed other players to get a chance in a top-six role.
"Now instead of me deciding between a Nyquist and a (Anthony) Mantha and a Double-A (Andreas Athanasiou), most of the time Mantha and Double-A have been out there every time," Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. "Same thing with the power play, you get opportunities for other guys to get those minutes. As we've signed (Taro) Hirose and (Ryan) Kuffner, they get those opportunities for us to look at them, where Gus, if he was with us, would occupy one of those spots. That's the advantage. You get looks.
"Certainly, when you trade away a player of Gus Nyquist's caliber, you're trading away a heck of a player and a heck of a person. But we know we put ourselves in that spot with where we were at the trade deadline."

For Nyquist, agreeing to waive his no-trade clause to go to the Sharks meant a new opportunity to play in the playoffs.
"Just joining a team that's this deep was an exciting thing for me and to be back in the playoffs," Nyquist said. "In Detroit, we weren't in it for the last couple of years and it looks like missing for the third straight time. So joining a team that's gonna be back in the playoffs and playing for that Stanley Cup, that's why you play the game. I'm really excited about that."
VANEK OUT, ERICSSON, MCILRATH IN: Thomas Vanek was about to go on the ice for the morning skate but returned to the dressing room.
Blashill said Vanek would miss the Sharks game with a mid-body injury.
He also said rookie Michael Rasmussen remains out tonight.
However, veteran defenseman Jonathan Ericsson will return to the lineup after missing five games with a lower-body injury.
"Johnny feels pretty good," Blashill said. "I think his wind is the only thing that's not quite there, but his legs have felt pretty good, he's been able to skate a decent amount, he feels like he's totally ready to go. There was a chance we maybe would push him for Saturday, but he wasn't quite ready. Had a little setback on Friday but he feels much better here the last few days. So hopefully he's ready to go and when he's at his best he's strong in his own end, he's physical, he plays against big men, defends well, moves his feet and passes the puck."
The Wings called up defenseman Dylan McIlrath Sunday to take the place of Libor Sulak, who was not able to play due to illness.
Blashill said McIlrath will play. During the morning skate, he and Ericsson were a pair.

"Dylan has done a good job over a number of years in Grand Rapids," Blashill said. "He's a good penalty killer, a big body, protects the net front, obviously he's got a toughness to him, so he's got an edge to him. He's been a real good player for GR, so hopefully he can come in and like (Brian) Lashoff has done, do a real good job for us."
McIlrath, who was originally the 10th overall pick of the New York Rangers in the 2010 draft, has played in 43 NHL games with the Rangers and Florida Panthers.
But this will be his Wings debut.
"Excited. It's always exciting to get the call," McIlrath said. "Obviously being in the organization for the last two years, I've been working for it down there, hoping to get the call and glad it's finally here."

It's no easy task for McIlrath to step in against a team like the Sharks, who have 95 points and already clinched a playoff berth.
"They're great at home especially," McIlrath said. "They're a great team, a lot of high-end talent. So for me, it's just playing my game, playing simple, bring an edge that I can. I'm not going to try to be Erik Karlsson tonight, that's for sure so I'll just stick to my guns and play my game."
Blashill said with Vanek out, the Wings would go with 11 forwards and seven defensemen.
BOWEY GETTING COMFORTABLE: In the Wings' 3-2 overtime win in Las Vegas, defenseman Madison Bowey played 24:29, the most he's played with the Wings.
"My goal coming in, I think coaching staff's goal was just for me to improve and get better every game and I think it's going just as planned and I think obviously playing with Kronner (Kronwall) and Danny (DeKeyser) makes it a lot easier. I think they're two tremendous defensemen. I think it's making my job easy and I think if I just do the little things right and keep working hard and keep competing hard and using my aspects and my skills to my advantage, I think it usually is a good outcome that I'm looking for. So right now it's focusing on getting better every day and keep on improving from here."

Bowey had been playing with Kronwall and is now paired with DeKeyser.
"I think it's been a great curve in the right direction," Kronwall said. "I think he's been getting better and better every game. Last game I think he played 24-25 minutes or something. I thought he played great. Going up against the other team's top line, I thought he held his own and did really well out there, a lot of good, smart plays, strong defensively. So it's very encouraging to see and I can't wait to see more of him."
Bowey, still a month shy of his 24th birthday, is 6-foot-2, 198 pounds and is a player the Wings liked in his draft year in 2013.
"I think Madison has gotten better and better and better," Blashill said. "He had a tough start against Montreal as our team did. I think he's grown as a player since then. I think part of it is we have a little different mentality than Washington did. We want to play a little bit faster through the neutral zone, we want to get the puck moving. I think he's gotten more comfortable with that. I think our D-zone is a little bit different. He's gotten more comfortable with that. I think his confidence has grown.
"He's a player who Ken Holland took a risk on, but he's young player who we think there is more there. It seems to be coming out bit by bit. He's still got lots to get better at, but bit by bit he's been better and better and better. You saw it the other night. I thought he had real impact, with his long stick, creating turnovers, and then also in the O-zone, he kind of snuck down the weak side a couple times and had some real chances, had some good one-timers from the top. So I think his game is improving. Hopefully, he can keep climbing."