Detroit Red Wings

Nosek latest to get his Wings
March 20, 2017, 11:54 PM ET [5 Comments]
Bob Duff
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Tomas Nosek is the latest piece of the future to get a look in the present from the Detroit Red Wings.

After a yo-yo weekend that saw Nosek called up twice and sent back to AHL Grand Rapids once, the 24-year-old center suited up for Monday’s 2-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres at Joe Louis Arena.

Nosek had a team-high six shots on goal in 10:05 of ice time

“I’m very excited,” Nosek said. “Every time you get a chance to play in the NHL it’s very exciting.“I tried to do my best down there to hope to get a call up and now I’m here, so I will try to prove it that I belong here.”

Nosek saw duty in six games with the Wings last season and had posted 39 points in 48 games with the AHL Griffins this season, a career high.

“Every game in the NHL it’s a lot of experience,” Nosek said. “The next time you step on the ice you hope it helps you to have more confidence.

“This year is the first (NHL) game (for him this season), so it’s been awhile but I’m playing good hockey down there and I hope I prove that.”

Nosek skated on a line with Anthony Mantha and Drew Miller but believes he is a player capable of contributing anywhere and in any role on the ice.

“It depends on what coach wants me to play,” Nosek said. “I’m just going to be a player who can play everything - power play, PK, defense, offense - whatever coach wants I will play.”

An undrafted free agent from the Czech Republic, Nosek has worked diligently on improving his skating speed since arriving in North America in 2014.

“Probably I have a problem the first year with the quickness, the speed here,” Nosek admitted. “That’s probably the big step for me, the speed. I feel the difference. I’m a little quicker on the ice. The speed gives me confidence, too.

“I try to work every summer on it. I hope it’s working.”

Detroit coach Jeff Blashill believes that it is and sees improvement in Nosek’s wheels.

“I think his skating has really gotten better over the last two years,” Blashill said. “If you’d have asked me two years ago, I’d have said his skating has to improve for him to play in the league.

“I know he trained real hard in the off-season. He trained with a sprinter with the last two off-seasons. I thought when he came up and played with us last year his skating was excellent.”

Blashill had no qualms with the rest of Nosek’s game.

The thing about Nosie is I think he’s always an accountable player. Now it’s a different role, certainly, where I think he’s become one of the go-to guys there and here he’ll be a fourth-liner, so the minutes are different, but he’s always an accountable player. That’s what’s going to allow his transition to the league to be smooth. He is a two-way player already. There’s not lots of bad habits.

“I believe he is a real good, solid defensive player who can make plays offensively. He’s hard on the puck, he’s strong on the puck. He’s just a real smart, good hockey player.”

Helm Out
The opening for Nosek was created when the lower-body injury suffered Saturday by forward Darren Helm ruled him out of Monday’s game, as well as Tuesday’s contest at Montreal.

“I think it’s day to day,” Blashill said. “He’s not going to play tonight and I don’t expect him tomorrow but Friday (against Tampa Bay) is not out of the question.

“It’s more of a day to day thing.”

The Wings also reassigned forward Mitch Callahan to Grand Rapids on Monday.

Sproul Update
Defenseman Ryan Sproul’s season is done due to a knee injury and he’s uncertain at this point as to whether the injury will impact his 2017-18 NHL campaign.

“It depends on obviously if I need surgery or not,” Sproul said. “I’m hoping that I don’t and I can get back and start working out in a couple weeks for real and have a good summer.”

Restricted to only 27 games due to injury and healthy scratches, Sproul was ready to take a regular turn on the Detroit blue line when he was injured in Edmonton.

“It’s just a tough season in general for me,” Sproul said. “It’s not what I wanted. I wanted to come in and make my point of knowing that I could play in this league. It’s kind of a struggle when you can’t get into games, can’t get any consistency.

“I think with this injury, I’m going to look back on this season and do whatever I can next season to stick in the lineup.”