Friday’s practice brought a bevy of good news for the Red Wings.
By Saturday afternoon, the team could have two key players back in the lineup, with a third on the way.
Most notably, Jakub Vrana was back on the ice Friday after spending the past two months in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program to treat an off-ice issue. While Vrana’s return to the lineup isn’t imminent — he’ll need some time to get back into game shape — his presence is a welcome sight for a team that’s been struggling to score.
"Just great to have him back, get him back in the room with the guys, able to practice with us," said Derek Lalonde. "Now the next step is when we think he can be game ready. Obviously he’s been out for two months, this was his first skate today and we want to be really patient with it. With all the bodies out, it would be intriguing, but we want to put him in the best position to be successful when he’s game ready. When is that going to be? I don’t know."
A top-six forward and proven sniper when healthy, Vrana has 22 goals in 39 career games with the Red Wings. He played in just two games this season before taking his leave of absence.
"He’s a natural finisher," said Lalonde. "His numbers prove that out, his goals per game, his goals per 60 (minutes). One of our top guys. ... Goals are nice to come by, especially with the guys that we have out. That’s what he brings, the ability to finish."
The 26-year-old Vrana is now in the follow-up care phase of the player assistance program, which supports players and their families with mental health, substance abuse and other matters.
More immediately, the Red Wings could have captain Dylan Larkin and defenseman Filip Hronek back for Saturday’s game against the Senators as they look to snap a four-game game skid.
Larkin was back on the ice Friday, albeit in a non-contact jersey, after missing Wednesday’s 4-1 loss to the Wild due to a hand injury he suffered in Tuesday’s 1-0 loss to the Hurricanes. He’ll be a game-time decision on Saturday, said head coach Derek Lalonde, "which is a positive, obviously from where we were a couple days ago." The club’s No. 1 center has 27 points in 28 games.
Hronek also practiced Friday after a thunderous hit by Wild forward Ryan Reaves knocked him out of Wednesday’s loss. Lalonde said the Wings want to see how he responds to practice before making a decision on his status for Saturday, but it’s a good sign that he was cleared for contact on Friday.
Hronek has been arguably Detroit’s best defenseman this season with 24 points and a plus-11 rating in 29 games.
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