The hits just keep on coming for the back end of the Detroit Red Wings. Part of the reason for 5 of their rookies making their debuts on opening night was the depleted defense corps. Now, that same defense corps loses another veteran to injury in Trevor Daley.
Daley left Sunday night’s 4-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings during the first period. He appeared to get a skate caught along the boards during a faceoff, fell forward, and his head caught a Kings player’s knee. Daley was helped off the ice to the dressing room.
#RedWings Daley being helped to the dressing room by Piet Van Zant. #LAKings
— Dana Wakiji (@Dwakiji) October 8, 2018
UPDATE: Trevor Daley will not return. Upper body. #DETvsLAK
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) October 8, 2018
Coach Blashill has ruled Trevor Daley OUT (upper body) for tomorrow night in Anaheim. #RedWings
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) October 8, 2018
With Daley’s injury, this puts Joe Hicketts back into the lineup, and makes Danny DeKeyser the most veteran of available defensemen. Daley has been ruled out for at least Monday night’s game against the Anaheim Ducks, where fellow veterans Niklas Kronwall, Jonathan Ericsson, and Mike Green are all also ruled out.
Kronwall was hoping to play at least one of the two California games this weekend, but was unable to. He could be a game-time decision for any of the Red Wings’ upcoming games after today. Ericsson (upper-body) was not slated to play either of the West Coast games, and Green (virus) is out for at least the duration of October.
This leaves the Red Wings blue line with 4 rookie defensemen; Hicketts, Libor Sulak, Dennis Cholowski, and Filip Hronek. The only veterans are DeKeyser and Nick Jensen. The only points contributed by Detroit’s defense are by Cholowski. He’s tied for team lead with 3 points (1 G, 2 A), along with Dylan Larkin (1 G, 2 A), and Gustav Nyquist (3 A).
The Red Wings take on the Ducks tonight (Monday, October 8), at 10pm ET.
