Preview: Saturday's game gives young players a last chance to impress

The questions are about Joe Veleno, but really they could be about anyone - Lucas Raymond, Bobby Ryan, even Riley Barber or Taro Hirose.
Jeff Blashill is explaining his process for deciding whether someone should make the NHL roster after Thursday night's win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, in which Veleno scored a goal and tallied a through-the-legs assist, which naturally made people wonder whether he might be making a run at a roster spot. Veleno, 21, played five games with the Detroit Red Wings last season, and it's fair to say more of the conversation around the roster bubble has focused on Raymond and Ryan.
But the loudest message anyone can send is with their play, and Veleno sent some kind of message on Thursday, so there was Blashill, being asked if it was fair to call him NHL ready.

"Is it fair to say? I think he's making his way to being close to NHL ready," Blashill said. "I think there's a lotta guys that are kinda in that mix. And then it's that next step that is probably more important. Not being NHL ready but ready to help an NHL team be way better. And that to me is what we're looking for, how do you help the Detroit Red Wings be a way better team? Not just how can you make our team?
"I've said that lots, but I think it's a good reminder. So is Joe taking steps in the right direction? 100 percent. He's worked his tail off over two years to change his body. I think he's bought into being really good on the (defensive) side of the puck. So then it depends where he would potentially fit in. Depends, is he better than other guys? All that stuff comes into it but he's taking steps in the right direction."
Time, now, is running out on these decisions. Saturday's preseason game at the Buffalo Sabres (3 p.m.,
DetroitRedWings.com/Gameday
) is the Red Wings' last before the real thing starts.

That gives anyone looking to make an impression in the forward group - the place where spots are up for grabs - about 15 minutes of ice time, give or take, to do it.
"It's definitely tough, it's not easy," Veleno said. "Especially during the preseason, obviously you want to make the best impression. You want to limit mistakes, just play the right way, earn the coach's trust. Obviously chip in offensively and get some points on the board."
Blashill has made the point a number of times during camp that he wants players to grab spots, not merely be a little bit better than someone else. He explained that Thursday night as the difference between surviving and thriving.
"I would say there's a lot of guys that can kind of play in the league and you kinda survive," Blashill said. "And they go out shift by shift. Maybe they try to not let anything bad happen. They don't really create a whole bunch of positives. They just kinda survive and I think that's - although there's guys that end up in those spots that shouldn't be or are young players, it doesn't make any sense to have them in a spot where they're just surviving."
For players like Veleno or Raymond, Blashill and Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman believe it's better to let them blossom in Grand Rapids if they'll spend their time in the NHL surviving as opposed to thriving.

"It should be readily apparent from everybody out there from the impact they have on the game that they're gonna be able to help the hockey team be a way better team.," Blashill said. "If you just see a flash here, like oh, he's a good skater, well that's not good enough. The impact on the game is what matters the most. Again, are they thriving or are they kinda surviving?"
Of course, it's rarely that simple. Raymond, whose preseason thus far has been much better than expected, is a textbook case. He occupies the gray area of the unknown.
Saturday is the last chance to break from it.