Jordin Tootoo’s style of game once again doesn’t translate to playoff playing time

DETROIT – Jordin Tootoo experienced this year’s playoffs like he did last season while with the Nashville Predators, mainly from the pressbox.

Tootoo played in just one of the Wings’ 14 playoff games this year, being a healthy scratch the other 13.

“Playoff hockey is very intense and that’s my kind of game,” Tootoo said after cleaning out his locker at Joe Louis Arena on Friday. “Obviously you’ve got to make sure what you think is the right combination of guys in the lineup to win, and obviously I wasn’t part of that combination. But you never know, guys go down, things happen, there are a lot of ups and downs. Mentally, physically, I was prepared to be thrown into the battle.”

Tootoo played in Detroit’s series opener with Anaheim, totaling just a little over six minutes of ice time in a 3-1 defeat.

“I thought Toots was great for us,” Wings coach Mike Babcock said. “He did everything we wanted. He was physical, he gave us energy. The type of player he is, he gets way more opportunity early in the season when it’s being silly and then he doesn’t in the end. But I thought he was fantastic for us. We’re thrilled with him. Maybe if you’re on the outside looking it, you say Toots never played, but I thought he was great.”

In his only appearance in the postseason with the Wings he recorded their first penalty of the series for a crosscheck that the Ducks promptly scored on just four seconds into the man advantage.

“There are no penalties in the playoffs, you just can’t take a penalty in the playoffs,” Babcock said when asked why Tootoo didn’t play in the postseason. “There’s not as much stuff after the whistle, there’s mauling each other but there’s not that stuff. So you look at Chicago, where’s (Brandon) Bollig and (Jamal) Mayers and where were all their guys? Same, place Toots was. That just seems to be the way it is.”

Tootoo played in just three of the Predators’ playoff games a year ago after coming off a career-high 12 postseason appearances where he registered a career-high six points.

“Obviously, coming in here with all of the excitement and coming to a new team that I was looking forward to all lockout,” Tootoo said. “I thought with the guys that we have here, we did all we can do. Fortunately I was able to help the guys in the regular season win a few big games. As far as playoffs, every guy wants to play, but at the same time you have to make sure that you pay your dues, put in your time and wait for your call. For me I was ready to go in the first round, second round, it was just waiting for that opportunity. It was pretty much one day at a time.”

The Wings signed Tootoo this past offseason to a three-year deal worth $1.9 million a year.

He played in 42 of Detroit’s regular season games, registering three goals and five assists to go along with a team-high 78 penalty minutes.

“You come in with the right mindset knowing that you’re going to have a chance to play every night,” Tootoo said. “I kind of went through this last year with Nashville in the playoffs, not being able to play, but you know, you’ve got to go with what’s put in front of you. Obviously when you’re told that you’re not going to be in the lineup, I’m sure every hockey player can attest to this, it’s not a good feeling. We’re born to be competitive and play with our hearts out, and when you’re told that you’re not going to play it’s tough to swallow. But as a professional you have to be able to handle those situations.”

A move to the Eastern Conference, which is believed to be a more physical league, could open up more playing time for Tootoo next season.

“They know what I bring night in and night out, and obviously next year we’re moving over to the East so there’s going to be a lot of differences,” Tootoo said. “I’ve only played in the Western Conference my whole career, it’ll be interesting to see what happens.

“For me, it’s making sure that I’m physically and mentally prepared for training camp and the beginning of the season,” Tootoo added. “I let the business side deal with itself, and I’ve just got to make sure that I’m ready.”

Tootoo led the Wings with eight fighting majors, which was six behind the league leader this season, Tampa Bay’s B.J. Crombeen.

Despite this being a lockout-shortened 48-game regular season, Tootoo registered high most fighting majors since totaling 10 in the 2008-09 season with Nashville.

Defenseman Ian White knows his time in Detroit is pretty much over … “We wish him luck,” Babcock says

DETROIT – With how the season went for defenseman Ian White, it’s a safe bet that he won’t be returning to the Detroit Red Wings next season.

And Wings coach Mike Babcock made that quite clear Friday as the team gathered for the end-of-year picture and locker clean out at Joe Louis Arena.

“It didn’t go the way Whitey wanted it,” Babcock said. “Whitey’s a real good person, a real good man. We wish him luck.”

What a difference a year made for the blue liner as he went from a top-four defenseman, paired with Nicklas Lidstrom many nights, to a healthy scratch late in the season.

“I don’t know (what happened),” White said. “I thought I was playing pretty well. I played seven games in a row the last time I played and I was on the ice for one goal against in seven games. I scored a goal too and thought I was playing pretty well. Obviously not letting goals in is what I’m paid to do, so for whatever reason I wasn’t in the mix and sometimes that’s how it goes.”

In 77 regular season games last year, White had seven goals and 25 assists. He was also a plus-22.

He dipped to 25 games played in his lockout-shortened season, scoring two goals to go with two assists and was a plus-4.

“I spoke with them a few times,” White said. “The only thing I can think of is I’m a small defenseman and I’ve been hearing that my whole life, you’ve got to be big to play and all that. They decided to go with their big defensemen and that didn’t include me.”

White missed five games early in the season after suffering deep leg laceration, but once healthy he was back in the lineup.

Then on Feb. 27, White found himself a healthy scratch. That continued on for six consecutive games.

Babcock said at the time it was because he was having difficulty getting the puck out of his zone. And once Brendan Smith and Kyle Quincey returned from injury, White was benched.

“It’s extremely disappointing,” White said. “I know that I can help this team out and help it win. My game fits well with some of the guys here, the puck-possession game and we have some real skilled forwards who have to have the puck in their hands and I can deliver that.

“It’s real disappointing to have it end this way,” White continued. “When I came here, and after last year, I thought I might be able to have a long future here, but we’ll see how everything goes in the next month.”

His last regular season game with the Wings was April 7 and he did not play in the playoffs.

“I assumed I wasn’t going to play (in the playoffs),” White said. “I hadn’t played in a month before that. Why all of a sudden I get in the playoffs when we had real crucial games down the stretch too where I wasn’t out there. I didn’t think I’d be the first one in the playoffs that’s for sure.”

Bouncing from team-to-team is nothing new for White, who signed a two-year deal worth $5.75 million to replace Brian Rafalski on the blue line after the 2010-2011 season.

In his first six seasons in the league, White was traded three times. In one season he was dealt twice.

“I have no idea,” White said when asked about his future. “You start having decisions with your agent and talk to Ken (Holland). I love it here. I love playing here and it’s unfortunate that I didn’t get to play this year. It’s probably somewhat doubtful that you bring back some guy that you’re not going to play. The most unfortunate part of our business is moving around all of the time and switching teams, but that’s the nature of the game. We’ll see how it plays out.”

With the addition of Danny DeKeyser during the season and the emergence of Brian Lashoff, Detroit’s blue line is pretty crowded.

The defense also includes Niklas Kronwall, Jonathan Ericsson, Kyle Quincey, Jakub Kindl, Brendan Smith and Carlo Colaiacovo, who has one-year left on a two-year deal.

Smith and Kindl are both restricted free agents.

White severed a tendon in his left knee after the heel of Jimmy Howard’s sliced through the top of his knee in the third game of the season. He was sidelined two weeks and missed five games.

“It could have been a lot worse,” White said at the time. “You have a tendon going right over your knee cap. It just missed it. I guess if I would have cut that I might have been the season. Lucky, if you will.”

Filppula doesn’t know if Friday was his last time in the Red Wings’ locker room

DETROIT – Valtteri Filppula doesn’t know if he’ll be back.

Filppula is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 5 if he doesn’t reach a new deal with the Wings.

When asked if he thought he’d be back with the team Filppula said, “I don’t know. It’s too early to say right now. I just have to wait a little longer till summer and see what happens.”

Friday could have been his last time in the locker room.

“I haven’t thought about that too much, but obviously it’s a possibly that could happen,” Filppula said. “It’d be tough. It’s been a really great place to be. I’ve been so happy here. We’ll see if we go … if that’s what’s going to happen.”

Wings GM Ken Holland said the Wings made Filppula an offer in August and September before talks broke down.

“I think during the season when you’re doing that, to be honest I wasn’t paying too much attention to it, I was just trying to focus on playing,” Filppula said. “Obviously when you negotiate you hope you get something done but that’s not always going to happen. That’s how it is.”

Filppula made $3 million last season and is believed to be asking for about a $2 million raise a year.

“I gotta go through the next month,” Holland said when asked specifically about Filppula. “He’s unrestricted and I gotta sit with the coaches, sit with the scouts.”

Filppula suffered a high-ankle sprain on just his second shift of Game 7. He’ll be in a cast for 2-3 weeks and will need 6-8 weeks to heal.

Chicago’s Andrew Shaw appeared to slew-foot Filppula after a crosscheck to bring him to the ice awkwardly. The Blackhawks forward wasn’t penalized on the play.

Filppula did not think Shaw slew-footed him.

Holland says Wings won’t use amnesty buyout on Franzen, who’s set to make close to $4 million each of the next seven seasons

DETROIT – Johan Franzen will come back.

Wings GM Ken Holland also said he would not use one of the club’s two amnesty buyouts on Franzen.

“Yeah, it’s crazy (speculation) for me,” Holland said. “I don’t know where you find 30-goal scorers. There is no hockey store. He played 41 games, he had 14 goals. If you times it by two, that’s 28 goals. How many players in the league score more than 25 goals?”

Franzen will make close to $4 million each of the next seven seasons before becoming an unrestricted free agent.

Teams have two amnesty buyouts that can be used over the next two summers, where they can buyout a player for two-thirds of the remaining value of his contract.

The move would not count against the salary cap.

“Obviously it’s at our disposal,” Holland said when asked if he’d use it on any players.

Datsyuk wants to sign new deal with Wings, but still wants to finish career in Russia

DETROIT – Pavel Datsyuk wants to come back.

Datsyuk, 34, would still like to finish his career in Russia, but not before spending a few more seasons in Detroit.

“It’s not 100 percent, but I’m looking forward (to signing here),” Datsyuk said. “I would love to stay. I hope we agree and I sign new deal.
“This is my goal, but you never know how this goes,” Datsyuk continued. “I would love to finish (in Russia), give it back to my friends and fans in Russia. I hope I’ll be in good shape (then).”

Datsyuk will make $6.7 million in the final year of his contract.

Wings general manager Ken Holland said he’ll talk with Gary Greenstin, Datsyuk’s agent, in the next few weeks, but a new deal can’t be signed until July 5.

“It’s very important, but obviously he’s got options too,” Holland said. “He’s got a year to go, we know he’s on the team next year. Negotiations are tough. Because the player’s trying to find out what’s fair for him and the team is trying to find out what competitively, what you think makes sense. So just because all of a sudden somebody says they want to stay doesn’t mean you’re going to have a contract done.”

Datsyuk made headlines when he made said his dream would be to finish his career in Russia, which many speculated meant leaving Detroit after this contract ran out.

“You asked me and I just answered it’s fun to be home, but one home to come to another home, when you play too much here, it’s nice to come back home (to Russia),” Datsyuk said.

Henrik Zetterberg, 32, has a deal that runs after the 2020-21 season making an average salary of $6,083,333 million.

“My time is too long, you never know,” Datsyuk said when asked how long he’d like to play in the NHL. “Hockey now is so competitive, so aggressive game. You never know. But I’m looking forward.”

Blackhawks’ Bickell and Stalberg could be targeted by Wings once free agency opens

DETROIT – With free agency a little over a month away, the Red Wings’ shopping list could include two players off the team that just ousted them from this year’s playoffs.

Chicago Blackhawks forwards Bryan Bickell and Viktor Stalberg could be tops on Detroit’s list once free agency opens up on July 5.

Both are unrestricted free agents and 27 years old.

Bickell’s stock has really rose in the playoffs. After a nine goal and 14 assist regular season, Bickell has five goals this postseason and one assist.

Bickell, who was also a plus-12 during the lockout-shortened regular season, is in the final year of a contract that pays him $541,667.

The 6-4, 233-pound forward also showed his physical side when he dealt a crushing blow behind the Wings’ goal on Niklas Kronwall, who later was learned to have injured himself on the play.

Bickell and Stalberg played on Chicago’s third line most of the season.

Stalberg could be headed out of town after reportedly getting into it with Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville about playing time, mainly on the power play, in their first-round series with the Minnesota Wild.

Stalberg was benched for the first two games of the Western Conference semifinal series with the Wings.

Quenneville denied reports.

“Viktor knows the reasons why,” Quenneville said. “It has nothing to do with anything about our conversation. It was strictly nothing to do with that. At all. That situation wasn’t even addressed.”

Stalberg got back in the lineup for Game 3 against the Wings and remained in it.

Stalberg made $875,000 this season.

The Wings currently will be close to $12 million under the salary cap.

Chicago has roughly $2 million in cap space.

Other possible players the Wings could target Mike Ribeiro, Pascal Dupuis, Patrik Elias, Jaromir Jagr, Michael Ryder, Jarome Iginla, Brenden Morrow, Nathan Horton, Mason Raymond, Ryane Clowe and David Clarkson.

Samuelsson may need surgery to repair injured pectoral muscle.

DETROIT – It looks like Mikael Samuelsson may need surgery to repair in injured pectoral muscle.

He suffered the injury on March 31 and missed the final 13 games of the regular season. Returning for Game 7 against Anaheim, he reinjured it again and didn’t play against Chicago.

“He just never healed, but he feels better every day,” Wings general manager Ken Holland said. “There’s a chance he may need surgery.”

Samuelsson also suffered a pulled groin and broken finger this season, which limited him to nine games, four in the regular season and five in the playoffs.