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Detroit Red Wings forward Johan Franzen feels ‘much better'; could be back by Thursday

franzensitsout

James O’Brien

Good news for the Detroit Red Wings: it sounds like Johan Franzen isn’t too banged up. While the sniping Swedish forward did admit that the Mark Fistric hit left him with a “mild concussion,” Franzen said that he was feeling quite a bit better and it doesn’t appear that he’ll deal with too many issues. In fact, he might even be able to return by Thursday’s game against the Calgary Flames.

Of course, the Red Wings are still likely to proceed with caution when it comes to Franzen. His tough style earned him his great nickname “The Mule” but much like fellow Swede standout Peter Forsberg, sometimes that rugged game can take quite the physical toll.

Ansar Khan of MLive.com gathered Franzen’s thoughts.

Franzen said he has a slight concussion after being elbowed in the head by Dallas defenseman Mark Fistric on Thursday. Tests were done to rule out the possibility that he sustained another subdural hematoma, while idled him for a few weeks during the 2008 playoffs.

“It’s a concussion, but that’s not what they were worried about,’' Franzen said. “That (potential hematoma) is what they always check now because I have a history of that. They just want to be safe.’'

When he’s healthy, Franzen is absolutely one of the most intimidating scorers in the NHL. The Red Wings need to protect him, though, so expect him to miss a few games (at least) with this injury. At least it sounds like it won’t be a major problem for Franzen, though.