LAS VEGAS — From a betting standpoint, odds are good Alex Nedeljkovic will re-appear soon in a Detroit Red Wings uniform — and Jakub Vrana appears to at last be improving his odds, too.
The Wings’ front office, led by general manager Steve Yzerman, was at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday to take in the team’s last game on what up till then had been a disappointing jaunt west.
The Wings have two veterans in the minors, assigned there this month to get their games in order. After making 35 saves on 37 shots Wednesday, Nedeljkovic improved his stats with the Grand Rapids Griffins to a 2.26 goals-against average and .925 save percentage.
Even more encouraging, given his initial performance after landing with the Griffins: Vrana scored.
“It looked like a Vrana goal, coming up the wing and great finish,” Wings coach Derek Lalonde said. “You just hope he starts to build his game.”
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Vrana played just two games for the Wings this season before he was placed in the players assistance program Oct. 19. He was reinstated Dec. 16, practiced with the team for about a week, sent to the minors after the Christmas break on what began as a conditioning stint but turned into a longer stay after he went unclaimed on waivers. Yzerman has not spoken to media regarding the situation, but his actions said that he was willing to lose a top-line winger for nothing.
Now the best thing that can happen for the organization is that Vrana (who had one assist his first six games with the Griffins, resulting in being a healthy scratch for a pair of games) starts scoring regularly. Should that happen, the expectation is the Wings would recall him, put him on a top line and power play unit, and hope he does enough to intrigue a contender to make an offer ahead of the March 3 trade deadline. The Wings would likely have to retain some of the salary left on Vrana’s contract, which runs through next season with a $5.25 million cap hit.
“I’m just happy (with) him getting his game in order, consistent play away from the puck,” Lalonde said.
If nothing develops this spring, expect the Wings to buy out Vrana this summer.
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Nedeljkovic is in the last year of a contract with a $3 million cap hit. He had a 4.09 GAA and .880 save percentage in nine appearances with the Wings this season, prompting the team to take a chance on Magnus Hellberg. He has had his own inconsistent performances (2.81 GAA, .889 save percentage) and when asked about the likelihood of seeing Nedeljkovic in a Wings uniform again this season, Lalonde gave a hearty, “absolutely.
“We have a one through five depth chart, and right now he’s at three. We just talked about how the goaltending is 86% the 15, so it’s like any other position, we want the best consistency we can out of it. We’re evaluating one through five all the time. We haven’t given up on Alex, and he still potentially could be in the mix.”
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 latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.