In selecting who should wear letters and serve in support of captain Dylan Larkin, the Detroit Red Wings went with two veterans, one of whom has seniority on the team.
Danny DeKeyser joined the Wings in 2013 out of Western Michigan; he has endured back surgery and being put on waivers to enter his 10th season, his first as an alternate captain.
Marc Staal is entering his second season with the Wings, but wore an ‘A’ for a decade with the New York Rangers.
They were logical choices made this week by coach Jeff Blashill in consultation with general manager Steve Yzerman.
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“I have discussions with Steve Yzerman about a lot of things,” Blashill said Thursday hours before the season opener against Tampa Bay. “He’s got a wealth of experience and I love to get his insight and opinion. It’s critically important in leadership that you get that insight and opinion. That’s always been my management style. Then I make the decision I think is best.”
DeKeyser, 31, and Staal, 34, join a leadership letter alliance that has changed considerably over the past year. Dylan Larkin was named captain in January, and former alternates Frans Nielsen and Luke Glendening departed the organization over the summer; Justin Abdelkader was bought out in the prior offseason.
“We have a bunch of guys in the locker room that are going to be part of our leadership group,” Blashill said. “Danny and Marc are very worthy of it. Both guys that have been around the league a long time. Marc wore a letter in New York. One of the things we wanted when we brought him back was his leadership. Does an excellent job of, I would say, being serious but keeping it loose at the same time.
“Danny has been a really good Red Wing a long time. His work ethic was exemplified by the work he put in to come back from a major back surgery. He’s led by example and has really good leadership quality.”
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One of the tasks a letter-wearer has is to interact with officials; sometimes that involves arguing a call.
“One of the things we’ve talked about is emotional control and making sure that we don’t let the emotions get the best of us and cloud our judgment,” Blashill said. “That goes with officials as well. I thought we were much better at it last season than the season before.
“Dylan has done a really good job over the last couple years of developing relationships with referees, which is really important. Marc and Danny are both pretty calm customers. They don’t get too overexcited, so if they are overexcited, they’re probably on to something.”
DeKeyser and Staal are both on expiring contracts. DeKeyser enters the season slated to play in the top four opposite Filip Hronek. It’s a significant accomplishment for DeKeyser, who underwent a major operation in December 2019 that compromised his ability to play through last season.
“It’s pretty special for me to still be here,” DeKeyser said. “I had a dream growing up as a kid to play here. It’s pretty awesome, especially now being named an assistant captain. I just want to be vocal in the room when needed, lead on the ice. It’s a huge honor.”
Staal, who arrived via a trade with the Rangers last October, wore an ‘A’ at times last season.
“It’s a big honor for me,” he said. “I haven’t been here a long time but it feels like I’ve been here for a while. It’s been a great organization to join, and I’m just trying to represent it as best I can.
“As a captain, you have to make a lot of decisions, and you need to know what’s going on in the room and what guys’ opinions are about a certain of things. So if I can be a sounding board for Larks and DK, just talk things out off the ice — and then just showing up to work every day and setting a good example for how we want to play, execute. I’m excited to be a part of it. “
Blashill emphasized he wants the sounding board to extend to his office.
“The one thing I hate to hear at the end of the season is issues we might have had through the season,” he said. “Let’s have those issues on the forefront right now so that we can have communication and solve those issues.”
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her book, The Big 50: The Detroit Red Wings is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.