"(Tyler) Bertuzzi will be in tomorrow," head coach Derek Lalonde confirmed after Monday's practice. "Obviously the move of sending Elmer (Soderblom) down freed that up."
Bertuzzi has been out of the lineup since Nov. 30 with an upper-body injury, and also missed 13 games earlier this season.
Lalonde said Bertuzzi, who has one goal and three assists in nine games this season, will skate on a line with captain Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond against the Jets.
"Obviously, it's a line that has had some success," Lalonde said. "Unfortunately, Bert's been out most of the year. We haven't had too many looks at that line together. We'll give them an opportunity tomorrow and see how it goes."
Video: Derek Lalonde | Media Availability | 01/09/23
When asked about Soderblom's corresponding move to the Grand Rapids Griffins, Lalonde said it's an opportunity for the 6-foot-8, 246-pound rookie forward to "go down and grow his game."
"He has done some great things," Lalonde said about Soderblom, who has eight points in 21 games with Detroit this season. "Some ups and downs in his play, was probably on an up as of late. Obviously, he's created some offense for us."
In Saturday's road game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Olli Maatta recorded his 150th career NHL point with an assist on Jake Walman's first-period goal.
It's a personal milestone, according to Maatta, that symbolizes his professional hockey journey.
"It's been a lot of ups and downs," said Maatta, who's in his 10th NHL season. "I think what I've learned is to never stop working. You always have to look at how to get better and work on your game to have that longevity."
Video: DET@TOR: Walman puts Red Wings on top in 1st period
The 28-year-old defenseman added that the veteran teammates he's had along the way have been an invaluable asset to Maatta's development.
"I've played with players who have played into their 40s or late 30s that are still on top of the world," Maatta said. "I think you can learn a lot every day."
Maatta has emerged as a key asset on both ends of the ice for the Red Wings this season, collecting 14 points on three goals and 11 assists with a plus-6 rating through 34 games.
"It's been awesome," Maatta said about his first year with Detroit. "It didn't take long to adjust
For Nedeljkovic, his time with Grand Rapids is helping him build momentum as he gets back into his routine.
"Obviously practices are practices," Nedeljkovic said. "You work hard in practice and all that, but you never get the same intensity out of a practice that you do out of a game. Same thing with the mental side of the game."
