Although he was drafted as a center, the Red Wings envision top prospect Michael Rasmussen debuting in the NHL on the wing, reports MLive’s Ansar Khan. Rasmussen has shifted to the wing in the WHL playoffs with Tri-City and has adapted quite well, tallying 24 points (10-14-24) in just eight games through the first two rounds.
Rasmussen was Detroit’s first-round pick (ninth overall) last June and Khan notes that the team is hopeful that he may be able to lock down a regular roster spot as soon as next season. With the Red Wings intending to transition into somewhat of a youth movement, having him up with the big club in a position with less responsibility would make some sense to help him get acclimated to the rigors of playing at the NHL level.
Elsewhere around the East:
- New Jersey defenseman Sami Vatanen did not travel with the team to Tampa Bay today, notes Amanda Stein of the Devils’ team site (Twitter link). He suffered an upper-body injury against the Lightning early in Game Four; he left with just 6:46 of ice time. However, the team isn’t ruling out Vatanen joining the team on Friday if his condition improves. The puck drops on the fifth game of that series on Saturday afternoon.
- Penguins winger Patric Hornqvist skated in advance of Pittsburgh’s practice today but he has already been ruled out for Friday’s contest against the Flyers, Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review relays. He suffered an upper-body injury late in Sunday’s matchup and did not suit up on Wednesday night. Rookie Dominik Simon took Hornqvist’s place in Game Four and will likely remain in the lineup for Game Five.