Detroit Red Wings defenseman Danny DeKeyser could return to play Saturday, earlier than his expected recovery from a foot injury, coach Jeff Blashill said Wednesday.
DeKeyser was injured in a preseason game Sept. 30 and the prognosis was he would miss 3-4 weeks with sprained ligaments in his left foot. Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens would be two weeks; Detroit also plays Friday against the Carolina Hurricanes.
"There was some swelling after, but we just did the stuff that you would try to do to heal up a sprained ankle, icing and some acupuncture and stuff like that," DeKeyser told the Red Wings website. "I did some battling stuff out there today and so far it's felt good, no issues with it."
DeKeyser has practiced this week.
"A step forward for [Danny] for sure," Blashill said. "He certainly looks real good out there. We're hoping to have him at some point on the weekend. I'd say probably the earliest would be Saturday is what we'd be shooting for. But we'll still take it day to day."
Forward Darren Helm, recovering from a concussion he sustained the first day of training camp, also might play Saturday.
"Still day-to-day and that could change," Blashill said. "But that's what we're shooting for right now."
Forward Johan Franzen did not practice Wednesday and Blashill did not provide an update on his condition. Franzen, who missed time last season with a concussion, skated Tuesday morning and then did not feel well; he was scratched from a 3-1 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
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