DETROIT – Pavel Datsyuk is ready to play without any injuries holding him back, the Red Wings website reported Tuesday.
That's great news for Detroit after 36-year-old Datsyuk appeared in just 45 games this past season. He suffered a knee injury which forced him to miss 30 games.
"It was much better in a few games of the Boston series," Datsyuk said of his knee. "I could push my knee but I lost a lot of muscle. Now everything has come back."
He still scored 37 points in that 45-game period and another 5 points in 5 playoffs games against the Bruins. The team needs his neutral and defensive zone presence more than anything.
While Datsyuk's health is 100 percent positive, 30-year-old defenseman Jonathan Ericsson's isn't. Ericsson underwent surgery to repair his fractured finger, which ended his 2013-14 season early -- he also suffered broken ribs in December.
"Its been a frustrating summer with training and all that," Ericsson said after a skate on Wednesday, from Chuck Pleiness of Macomb Sports Daily. "It's hard even holding the bar with weights on .. But I should be fine."
He went on to say he's not 100 percent, "But I'll be there."
Ericsson found himself logging good first-pairing minutes with his countrymen Niklas Kronwall before injuries kept him out of the lineup. He was becoming a reliable veteran in his own zone, and Detroit needs him to be that this year.
The Red Wings need all the depth on defense that they can get.
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Meanwhile, everyone is waiting for Detroit to sign restricted free agent defenseman Danny DeKeyser.
Red Wings training camp gets underway later this month. The first preseason game is Monday, Sept. 22 against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Detroit.