Notes: Wings hoping Zetterberg able to return at some point this season

DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings are used to practicing without captain Henrik Zetterberg but are not giving up on having him play in games at some point this season.
Although Zetterberg has already ruled out training camp and the beginning of the season due to lingering back issues that prevented him from training as he usually does during the summer, his teammates are hoping that he can come back during the season.

"Part of me hopes that he sees some doctors now and they can come up with some solutions and that we get him to training camp or train the way he wants to and then just be ready whenever that is," longtime teammate Niklas Kronwall said after the team's informal skate at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday.
Gustav Nyquist said he kept in touch with Zetterberg regularly throughout the summer and knew the captain was having a tough time.
"Obviously he struggled training and hasn't felt his back is where it needs to be to be able to play," Nyquist said. "Just rooming with him there at the Olympics when he got hurt the first time, it was tough to see. He didn't sleep for basically four days with the amount of pain he was in and that was tough to see. Luckily that surgery went well enough for him to be able to play here for a few years. But it's got to be a lot of wear and tear and it's impressive what he's done to play all these games."
Zetterberg's teammates marveled at what he went through behind the scenes just to be able to play in all the games even though he wasn't able to practice the second half of the year.
"Yeah, to say the least. But at the same time, knowing Henrik, part of me wasn't surprised," Kronwall said. "That's who he is. I think it was a great way for the young guys to see that, him battle through that and still play 82 games. It's pretty remarkable. There were some days, game days, where it was tough for him to get out of bed and he still plays 22 minutes that same night. It says a lot about his character and how much he loves the game."
Zetterberg is expected to join the team in Traverse City when training camp starts next Friday but he won't be skating.
Until Zetterberg sees a back specialist to determine if there's something that will be able to help him rehabilitate his back and train again, the Wings won't have the complete picture on his status.
What they do know is he won't be around for a while.
"Obviously he's been here for my whole career," alternate captain Justin Abdelkader said. "He's been a leader on and off the ice. He's not a guy you can just replace. So we got to as a group come in and obviously we know we have a lot of veteran guys that have been in this league for a long time and know what it takes to win so we got to keep the culture and stay with it here, learn from last season.
"Obviously not the way we wanted it to go but obviously we were in a lot of games and when we get to overtime, finding ways to get those extra points and not give up as many leads. I think we'll be better off because of it. Unfortunately, Henrik, with what he's going through, you just can't replace that."
GREEN FEELING GOOD: Defenseman Mike Green, who underwent surgery on his cervical spine on April 5 in New York, participated in the informal skate Thursday after getting back to town Wednesday.

"I feel good," Green said. "I'll go up to New York next week and see the doctor and as soon as I get cleared I'll be ready for contact and ready to go."
Green, who signed a two-year contract extension on July 1, said he's been skating regularly back home in Calgary. He said he has noticed a lot of improvement since he's been rehabbing post-surgery.
"Yeah, it's just one of those things that was going on for a long time," Green said. "Basically, I was playing not to get hit and you can't play the game effective like that. I had an opportunity to take care of it and tried to here.
"It's night and day, to be honest. It's been a long summer recovering, but I feel pretty prepared, so we'll see how it goes."
KRONWALL ALSO READY: While Zetterberg had a difficult summer, Kronwall said his went pretty well, especially compared to previous summers when he struggled with his knee.
"It's been a pretty good summer that way," Kronwall said. "Some minor aches and pains but other than that, so far things are pretty good and I'm excited as anyone in here to go to work again."
Kronwall missed the first three games of last season but then was able to play the final 79 games.
He was also there for most practices.
"My expectations as of right now anyway is practice and play hard how much I can," Kronwall said. "Last year was the first time in a few years I actually felt pretty good, so I'm hoping that continues. It didn't change too much in the off-season. I was able to train the way I wanted to and just play it as it goes. Right now all my focus is starting camp next week and go from there."
Kronwall, who turns 38 in January, will be in the final season of his seven-year, $33.25 million contract.
"I'm a realist, too," Kronwall said. "The game's getting younger, it's getting faster. I am where I'm at. We'll see how this year plays out, but this may very well be the last season. If that's the case, I'm going to do whatever I can to make it a good one."