Alexey-Marchenko-1-4-14.jpg

Defenseman Alexey Marchenko (47) made his NHL debut for the Red Wings last season in Dallas.

(AP File Photo)

TRAVERSE CITY – Nobody would have blamed Alexey Marchenko if he had stayed home.

Marchenko is one of the Detroit Red Wings' top prospects, already establishing himself within the organization and playing in the NHL last season.

But he's barely a week removed from having screws removed from his ankle after undergoing offseason surgery.

Yet, Marchenko voluntarily reported to Centre ICE Arena for the Red Wings' annual development camp, along with many others, looking to test out his ankle for the first time since surgery.

Things have went well so far and seeing Marchenko -- one of the few pros at camp -- take the initiative to report to Traverse City on his own impressed the Red Wings' brass.

"Just the fact that Alexey is here," said Jiri Fischer, the club's director of player development. "He wanted to be here. We didn't ask him to come to the development camp. He asked us. He wanted to be on top of his injury.

"Every day he's on the bike, he's training, he's lifting weights, he wants to skate. It's probably a little bit early so we keep him off the ice. But he's working. He's committed.

"He's got a big chance."

As in a chance to play with the Red Wings again this season after making his NHL debut last January during a 5-1 victory in Dallas. That was Marchenko's only game with the Red Wings before he returned to Grand Rapids, where he was an AHL All-Star.

Marchenko played in the AHL All-Star Game before missing the last couple months of the season after undergoing to repair for a high ankle sprain suffered in February.

Marchenko first tested the ankle this week while skating by himself before Sunday's practice.

He stuck around on the ice long enough to help warm up the goaltenders prior to the start of practice and then repeated the same drills Monday morning.

He hasn't taken part in a full practice or scrimmage.

"Ankle is good," said Marchenko, 22. "The idea was to be here with the trainers, do some workouts and see how they feel about it. The idea was after the surgery to be with the team and recover well and go home and get ready."

The Red Wings have high hopes for the 6-foot-2, 212-pound Marchenko, who played for CKSA Moscow of the KHL in his native Russia before making his North American debut last season.

In 49 games with the Griffins, Marchenko had three goals, 15 assists and 14 penalty minutes.

He's ranked No. 5 among Detroit's prospects by Red Wings Central and the club projects him as a possible top-four defenseman.

Marchekno is in Traverse City this week to get a jump start on his second season with the Griffins.

"The game is quicker than it was in Europe," he said. "I need to work on it after I leave here. The idea is to pay attention to small details, get puck out of zone. At NHL level, guys will take it out for sure. KHL, there will maybe be some mistakes

"I need to recover my skating as it was and improve on a couple of steps. Maybe thinking more quickly. The game is quicker than in Europe."

The Red Wings liked what they saw from Marchenko during his one game in the NHL last season.

Marchenko had a plus-2 rating, took one penalty and saw more than 13 minutes of ice time -- spending almost a full minute with the penalty killing units. Although he spent more than a week with the Red Wings, that was the only time he got into a game.

"It was great," Marchenko said. "To be with the team on the road for 10 days, I liked it a lot. It helps a lot because someone is looking at your and maybe (will) see you and give you a chance."

Marchenko knows he's penciled in to start the season in Grand Rapids since the Red Wings defensive corps appears to be set but he's not going to training camp in September with that mindset.

Like many of the other top prospects at the development camp, he wants to open the season in the NHL.

"For sure," he said. "The point for everyone who's coming to the camp is to make the Red Wings. I'm not coming to the camp without that idea. I want to be healthy and get stronger in July and August and be ready to compete for a spot."

-- Download the Detroit Red Wings on MLive app for iPhone and Android

-- Like MLive's Detroit Red Wings Facebook page