Preview: Red Wings at Canucks
Vancouver gets three back from mumps; Ryan Sproul in lineup for Detroit after Brendan Smith traded
by Kevin Woodley / NHL.com Correspondent
RED WINGS (24-26-10) at CANUCKS (26-29-6)
10 p.m. ET; SNP, FS-D, NHL.TV
Red Wings team scope
The Detroit Red Wings traded defenseman Brendan Smith to the New York Rangers on Tuesday and the possibility of more moves before the NHL Trade Deadline passes on March 1 at 3 p.m. ET could affect their lineup coming off a five-day break against the Vancouver Canucks. Coach Jeff Blashill said possible trades for players including forwards Thomas Vanek, Drew Miller and Steve Ott, who are set to become unrestricted free agents on July 1, could impact the lineup, although each of the three are expected to play. "If I get told to sit somebody because there is an imminent trade, then I will sit them but I have not heard that," Blashill said. Trading Smith creates an opportunity for 24-year-old defenseman Ryan Sproul, who has seven points (one goal, six assists) in 24 games but has been a healthy scratch 32 times this season. "I'm kind of getting sick of being in and out so hopefully I can stick," Sproul said. "I need to try to earn some trust it looks like." Detroit is 11 points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference and has made the playoffs for each of the past 25 seasons.
Canucks team scope
Markus Granlund and defensemen Troy Stecher and Ben Hutton will be in the lineup. Stecher missed the game against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday with the mumps. Hutton, who was held out of practice after showing symptoms Sunday, and Granlund, who also missed the game Saturday after showing signs, tested negative for mumps. "They never had the mumps so they are cleared to play right away," coach Willie Desjardins said. "It's a precautionary thing. We wanted to make sure we did the right thing." Defenseman Christopher Tanev, who missed the game Saturday with mumps, has also been cleared to return after five days in isolation. He practiced Monday and Tuesday but hasn't recovered enough physically to play against Detroit. "Tanev still isn't feeling great and that's the thing with the mumps, everybody gets affected differently," Desjardins said. Goalie Richard Bachman was called up from Utica of the American Hockey League after backup Jacob Markstrom sustained a lower-body injury in a team function on Sunday but Ryan Miller, who could be traded, will start. Jannik Hansen, who is also a trade possibility, moves to the top line with Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin, a spot vacated when the Canucks traded Alexandre Burrows to the Ottawa Senators on Monday. Desjardins doesn't expect to hold players out because of potential trades. "There are all kinds of talk on trade rumors but until something happens, there is nothing going on," he said.
Red Wings projected lineup
Tomas Tatar -- Henrik Zetterberg -- Anthony Mantha
Andreas Athanasiou -- Frans Nielsen -- Thomas Vanek
Justin Abdelkader -- Darren Helm -- Dylan Larkin
Luke Glendening -- Riley Sheahan -- Steve Ott
Danny DeKeyser -- Xavier Ouellet
Mike Green -- Niklas Kronwall
Nick Jensen -- Ryan Sproul
Petr Mrazek
Jared Coreau
Scratched: Drew Miller
Injured: Jimmy Howard (knee), Jonathan Ericsson (wrist)
Suspended: Gustav Nyquist
Canucks projected lineup
Daniel Sedin -- Henrik Sedin -- Jannik Hansen
Reid Boucher -- Bo Horvat -- Loui Eriksson
Markus Granlund -- Brandon Sutter -- Jayson Megna
Joseph Labate -- Brendan Gaunce -- Alexandre Grenier
Alexander Edler -- Troy Stecher
Luca Sbisa -- Philip Larsen
Ben Hutton -- Alex Biega
Ryan Miller
Richard Bachman
Scratched: Evan McEneny
Injured: Jacob Markstrom (lower body), Michael Chaput (mumps), Nikita Tryamkin (mumps), Christopher Tanev (mumps), Jack Skille (groin), Sven Baertschi (concussion), Anton Rodin (knee), Erik Gudbranson (wrist surgery), Derek Dorsett (neck surgery)
Status report
Blashill said the Red Wings would call up an extra defenseman in time for the game Friday against the Calgary Flames, the second of a five-game road trip. ... Chaput tested positive for mumps and remains out, as does defenseman Tryamkin. Baertschi, who was injured Feb. 7, has resumed skating and Desjardins is optimistic he can return for a three-game road trip that starts Thursday. Markstrom is day to day.
Who's hot
Zetterberg has 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in his past 11 games. ... Daniel Sedin has one goal and three assists during a four-game point streak.