Ever the optimist, Red Wings coach Mike Babcock is trying to find the silver lining in his decimated defensive corps.
“This is how I look at it from a coaching perspective: opportunity,” Babcock told ESPN.com Thursday.
"[Brian] Lashoff? I would never [have] believed he would have played for us this year, but he’s played great for us in two games. Listen, we’re a work in progress, but we’ll figure this out. This is what we’ve got. Let’s find a way to win games. That’s the way I look at it.”
Having already lost Nicklas Lidstrom (retirement) and Brad Stuart (to San Jose) during the offseason, Detroit now finds itself without Carlo Colaiacovo (shoulder, IR), Ian White (lacerated leg, IR), and Jonathan Ericsson (hip, day-to-day) on the blue line.
The Wings are expected to get defenseman Jakub Kindl (groin) back Friday, but the 25-year-old isn’t exactly a cornerstone of Detroit’s back end.
For general manager Ken Holland, it presents quite the quandary. Does he wait patiently until everyone gets healthy while hoping that young Lashoff, 22, can continue his solid play, or does he make a move?
Suffice to say, any team with excess defensemen (assuming one of those exists) might want to give Holland a ring just to see where he’s at.