DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings could use a little more grit and be tougher to play against.
Carter Mazur brings those elements, which he hoped to show late last season before getting injured minutes into his NHL debut on March 6.
A heavier, stronger Mazur continues his bid to earn a job tonight when the Red Wings host the Buffalo Sabres in their second preseason game (no TV, livestreamed on DetroitRedWings.com).
“If a player can bring that and contribute everywhere else, doesn’t matter what your name is, we could use that,” coach Todd McLellan said. “You know, certainly Carter has that. He’s worked really hard over the summer. He’s put on some weight, so he’s just getting used to carrying that weight around. We expect him to get even faster and anticipate a little bit more once that weight settles in and he can carry it around the ice and it should protect him more from injury. But I think he’s just going to get better.”
Mazur scored a goal in the preseason opener Tuesday, his first game action since his elbow injury.
“I’ve been out for six months now, so getting back into that game feel and getting back to how I was playing is kind of my goal right now,” Mazur said.
“It was a very hard time to get injured, but I feel like I’m in a good spot right now. I had a full summer, five months to get ready and get my body right for the season. I was here all summer working with Rob (Barwis, Red Wings director of sports science and human performance), and we did a really good job. I put on 12 to 15 pounds of muscle, so I was headed in the right direction for sure.”
He’s pushing 200 pounds now.
“I notice it a lot out there,” Mazur said. “I know I can use my body more against players, and it’s just really keeping weight on my frame. I know I’ve been hurt a lot, so it’s something that I needed to do, and it’s something that I’m very happy that I got done.”
He also changed from No. 43, which he wore in his NHL debut, being a fan of former Red Wing Darren Helm, to No. 34.
“I think I just needed to change something,” Mazur said. “That was my number in college (at Denver) and I did pretty well there.”
Here is the Red Wings lineup tonight:
Forwards: Andrew Copp, Mason Appleton, Lucas Raymond, Michael Rasmussen, Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, Nate Danielson, Carter Mazur, Emmitt Finnie, Dylan Larkin, Amadeus Lombardi, Elmer Soderblom, Marco Kasper.
Defensemen: Ben Chiarot, Albert Johansson, Jacob Bernard-Docker, Axel Sandin Pellikka, Moritz Seider, Jacob Truscott.
Goaltenders: Cam Talbot (starting), Michal Postava (back-up).