Detroit — Dylan Larkin made a significant point after Sunday’s loss to the Ottawa Senators about the need to bring some joy into the locker room, even during this long, extended Red Wings’ slump.
But there’s also the fact there’s plenty to play for, concerning many, if not most, in the Red Wings’ lineup.
Whether it’s a contract, roster spot, or salvaging a job in the NHL, the vast majority of these Red Wings have much to play for in the final 13 games.
Now, they have to play like it more often than they’ve been.
“Everyone in our locker room is playing for something,” Larkin said. “There are roles on the team next year, contracts, you’re playing for a lot here. If that’s not enough, play for the love of the game and come out and enjoy the grind a bit and enjoying being in a one-goal game and playing the right way.”
Many of the younger Wings in the lineup arguably have more to play more than any others in these final weeks.
Forwards Michael Rasmussen, Filip Zadina, Joe Veleno and Givani Smith (currently injured), and defensemen Filip Hronek, Gustav Lindstrom, Olli Juolevi and Jake Walman are players who quickly come to mind.
Zadina, Juolevi and Walman are restricted free agents. Zadina, Hronek and Lindstrom are players whose performances haven’t lived up to expectations, and could use a good finish heading into the offseason. Rasmussen has played well, and could be cementing a bigger role, while the Wings may not be completely clear as to what they have with Veleno and Smith, and how big of a role either could, or should, have.
Goaltender Thomas Greiss, defensemen Danny DeKeyser and Marc Staal, and forward Sam Gagner, are potential unrestricted free agents who are looking for new contracts, be it with the Wings, or elsewhere.
An interesting topic these final weeks of the season is exactly who plays, or stays, in the lineup.
Hronek and Lindstrom have struggled in recent weeks, but Hronek, in particular, has stayed in the lineup. Zadina has watched his playing time diminish, while Walman has seen his role increase since arriving from St. Louis at the trade deadline.
It’s different for every player. But, coach Jeff Blashill and his staff talk with players regularly in terms of evaluations and progress.
“We have conversations with people when we think it’s appropriate,” Blashill said. “My job is to tell them when they’re on the path of doing it right and when they’re on the path of not doing it right.
“I guess it’s like parenting. Sometimes you have to harp, harp, harp, and sometimes you know they know they made a mistake, and you leave them alone like that. Coaching is a ton like parenting.”
Blashill talked last week about the decisions of filling out the lineup this late in the season.
“I don’t look at birth certificates when I make the decision on who’s playing,” Blashill said. “In certain young guys’ cases, when you’re out of it this time of year, they might get a little edge to play because we understand we’re trying to figure out what they are and maybe help develop them as players.
“But in the end, some guys build enough in their arsenal that even if they have a tough game they’re going to go back in because they’ve built that trust or confidence. They’ve earned that. Some guys are always on that edge — if you have a good game, you’re in, and if you don’t, you might not be. There’s always a balance between confidence and accountability in terms of when you take guys out.
“You also have to recognize there’s a chance it may really hurt their confidence and it might take a while for them to get it back. There’s probably two things at play when you’re making lineup decisions — who is giving you the best chance to win that night and looking at each guy’s development.”
Heavy workload
When analyzing the slump goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic has experienced, it might be beneficial to understand the Wings weren’t planning on using Nedeljkovic as much as they have.
When the Wings acquired Nedeljkovic from Carolina last summer, they envisioned close to a split in the workload between Nedelkovic and Greiss.
But the combination of Greiss being hurt and also ineffective at times, plus Nedeljkovic’s own impressive play for stretches during the first half, led to Nedeljkovic carrying more of the workload.
Nedeljkovic has played in 51 games (Greiss only 26), with Nedeljkovic carrying a 3.31 goals-against average and .900 save percentage (and 17-21-8 record).
“We’ve put Alex into a heck of a position in terms of workload,” Blashill said. “He’s played more than we intended to. We’re asking a lot of him on an every-night basis, and he’s like the rest of us; we all need to be better.”
Blashill added there’s a physical and mental side to a goaltender’s heavy workload.
“There’s a reason why a lot of teams don’t have one goaltender carry that workload like they once did,” Blashill said. “The league is so tight, a goalie can’t afford to not be at their very best. There’s a mental strain on the goaltender.”
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Bruins at Red Wings
► Faceoff: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Little Caesars Arena, Detroit
► TV/radio: BSD/97.1 FM
► Outlook: The Bruins (43-20-5) are jockeying for playoff seeding and have been one of the best teams in the NHL since around the holiday break. … The Bruins have won two of the three games against the Wings this season. … RW David Pastrnak (38 goals) and LW Brad Marchand (31 goals) lead a potent attack.
ted.kulfan@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @tkulfan