Notes: Wings move on after Mrazek traded to Flyers

DETROIT -- The Red Wings are in the midst of making changes but they are still playing to win.
On Monday night, the team traded goaltender Petr Mrazek to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for a conditional draft pick, no worse than a fourth-rounder, in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft and a possible 2019 third-round pick if the Flyers re-sign Mrazek this offseason.

"As somebody gets traded, you can think about who you lost or you can think about who you have and I tend to always think about who we have and we got lots of good players in here that give us a great chance to win on a nightly basis and we've proven that," Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. "I think when we lose tough games like we did the other night, when something like that happens, you have a trade like we did last night, I think it's easy for lots of people to say we're finished.
"We're not finished. We got lots of fight in us and I expect us to come out and show that tonight."
The Wings recalled goaltender Jared Coreau from the Grand Rapids Griffins. Coreau was named AHL Player of the Week Monday after recording back-to-back road shutouts of the Manitoba Moose.
While the Wings remain focused on the present and tonight's game against the Nashville Predators, Wings general manager Ken Holland is looking toward the team's future.
"My mindset isn't so much about '17-'18 and maybe '18-'19. It's about '19-'20," Holland said before the team's morning skate. "And it's about trying to acquire assets that I'm hoping can impact this team down the road. That's what motivated me to do this deal. I think we're competitive. I'm hoping that we can go on a run here the next six weeks and play our way into a run for a playoff spot. But the reality is I needed to make a decision yesterday and I made that decision."
Mrazek, 26, had won the starting job a couple of years ago and then lost the starting job to Jimmy Howard.
Blashill said Mrazek had evolved from the young goaltender he was when he first came into the league but had not established himself as a completely consistent netminder quite yet.
"I think he had worked at continuing to get his technique to a spot that allowed that consistency," Blashill said. "I think technique allows you to be consistent because there's going to be nights you feel great and nights you don't feel great and the better technique, the more consistent you can be and can make stops even when you don't feel great.
"I think Pete had lots of success on the way up to the NHL, being a competitor and his moxie and I think as the years here went along, I think he realized he had to work at his technique and really work at making that better and I think he's made a concerted effort. It didn't always show but I think over the last little bit it really started to come where his technique was starting to get himself to that spot."
There were also financial considerations involved in the trade.
"I consider myself a very patient person," Holland said. "I want to believe in people. I want to give people lots of time, because it's a tough league. I don't want to make assessments on players that are 21, 22. I want to give them time. In this instance, Petr Mrazek is 26. He's been here for 4-5 years. I knew that I had to make a qualifying offer at $4 million a year. I was uncomfortable giving him $4-5 million a year. In the meantime, an opportunity came up for him in Philadelphia. I think it's a great opportunity. I'm expecting him to play real good in Philadelphia."
The trade deadline is Monday, Feb. 26 at 3 p.m. so there are still possible moves to be made.
One of those moves could involve Mike Green, who will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
"Certainly this week is a big week for me working the phone lines, but if nothing's there that makes real sense and all I'm doing is helping somebody else out and we're getting what I don't think is fair value for our players, we'll go back to the summertime and we'll start all over again," Holland said. "There's going to be more teams in the mix."
Green has a modified no-trade clause so he would have to approve a trade. He has repeatedly said that he loves it in Detroit.
"If it's brought up and we have another discussion about it, we'll have to see," Green said. "I can't give a definitive answer. My mind is always open."
Green, who has missed the last two games with an upper-body injury, said he is not ready to play tonight but is hopeful for this Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres.
Whatever happens by the trade deadline, Holland says his objective is crystal clear.
"I want us to be a team that can compete for the Stanley Cup," Holland said. "I want us to be a better team. We're competitive. We're not quite where we need to be. In order to be where we want to be, I gotta acquire draft picks. We need to hit on those draft picks, and the more draft picks that I can acquire, or young players through trades, is a better chance that we're gonna wake up three, four, five years from now, two years from now, and start to see the young players coming on to the team and having an impact on the team.
"We're not good enough right now. We're not far away, but you can look at the standings. We've got a big row to hoe here. It's probably going to take 90-plus points to make the playoffs. We're going to have to play eight, nine, 10 games over .500 to qualify for the playoffs. For me, it's about trying to acquire pieces that I think are going to impact this team three, four years down the road, in order to build a team that's a playoff team, that's got a young foundation. That's the goal. Those are the decisions I'm making."
REACTION TO TRADE: The Wings understand that hockey is a business, that players are going to come and go.
But that doesn't mean it is easy to say goodbye to a teammate and friend.
"Found out last night and it sort of came as a surprise, but at the same time it wasn't a surprise," Howard said. "Petr is playing really well and I wish him all the best."
Howard's name had also been mentioned in trade rumors. The trade of Mrazek did not mean that Howard is breathing a sigh of relief yet.
"I don't think it's off anyone's mind until the trade deadline comes and goes," Howard said. "So for us it's just going out there and performing for the guys in the room."
All the players reached out to Mrazek once they heard the news.
"I wished him good luck," Tomas Tatar said. "Obviously, he will be missed. He was here for a long time. He's a great guy, we all wish him good luck in Philly. They have problems with goalies and he can have a good job there. It will be fun to play against him."
Blashill also called Mrazek as soon as he found out about the trade.
"I gave Petr a call there last night and certainly wished him all the best," Blashill said. "Petr and I have been together a long time. I'm in this chair because of a number of players and he's certainly one of them that had big impact on the success we had in Grand Rapids so for me personally, I just wanted to make sure I called and thanked him for the effort over the years and wish him luck."
The Wings have one more game this season against the Flyers, March 20 at Little Caesars Arena.
Tatar said Mrazek sounded excited about the new opportunity he has with the Flyers, who are currently third in the Metropolitan Division with 70 points.
"He played really good for us this year," Tatar said. "Last year was pretty tough for him. That's just how hockey goes. You have to be mentally strong, especially when you're a goalkeeper, it's a tough job for sure. You never know where life will bring you, he has a new opportunity in Philadelphia, so that's where he can start from scratch."
The better that Mrazek and the Flyers do, the better for the Wings in terms of their draft pick.
If the Flyers make the playoffs and Mrazek wins five games for them before the end of the season, the fourth-round pick becomes a third-rounder.
If the Flyers reach the conference finals and Mrazek wins six games in the first two rounds of the playoffs, the Wings' pick would become a second-rounder.
For now, Howard is the unquestioned number one goaltender.
"Right now Howie's playing tonight and I've obviously got tons of confidence in Howie but I got tons of confidence in Jared," Blashill said. "I think he did a good job when he came in last year. I think he's really got his game in a good spot in Grand Rapids, I thought he looked good today so I'd have no problem putting him in. Now I"ll make decisions on a nightly basis on who I think gives the best chance to win and we'll go from there."
COREAU'S FUTURE: The Wings have 24 games remaining in the regular season so Coreau will no doubt get a chance to play.
In 14 games last season, Coreau was 5-4-3 with a 3.46 goals-against average and .887 save percentage. He also had two shutouts.
Since Dec. 22, Coreau is 13-2-3 with a 1.92 goals-against average and .933 save percentage in 18 appearances with the Griffins.
"I think it was kind of a whole team thing down there, Tommy (McCollum) included," Coreau said. "I think we just found a whole new level to play every game. We were making those one or two big saves a game that everyone needs and I think we started getting a bit more goal support."
Howard is happy to be working with Coreau again.
"He's one of those guys that he's eager to learn," Howard said. "He works hard every single day and when he's in the net he competes. It'll be fun to watch."
Coreau, 26, said he found out he was coming to Detroit shortly after the trade happened.
"The whole night's kind of a blur because I had to pack," Coreau said. "I got a little bit of sleep, then woke up this morning and came. I called my parents right away. I think I woke them up.
"A huge opportunity. I still have to earn things, nothing's given like we always say. Exciting times."
FRK BACK IN: Martin Frk was a healthy scratch in Sunday night's 3-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs but he's back in the lineup for the Predators game.
"Nothing to do with Marty Frk at all," Blashill said. "I wanted to dress seven D and Marty, in my opinion, was the 12th guy so he came out. I think Marty has had moments of playing really good, moments of playing fine. He needs to make sure he's playing really good so he's not in that spot. That's his job and my job is to make the decision on the lineup."
Frk has 10 goals, 10 assists and is minus-11 in 49 games this season.