NHL playoffs: Detroit Red Wings at Tampa Bay Lightning (Game 1) - April 13, 2016

Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard started the first two games of the playoffs against Tampa Bay before being replaced.

(The Associated Press)

DETROIT - The past two seasons have featured plenty of highs and lows for Jimmy Howard.

He was named an All-Star in January 2015 but missed a month with a groin injury and wasn't the same, losing his starting job to Petr Mrazek in the playoffs.

Howard posted a shutout in the 2015-16 season-opener, faded mid-season, regained the starting job later in the year but lost it again in the postseason.

His future was in doubt when he cleaned out his locker in April, but Howard is still a Detroit Red Wing. Whether that is the case after this season remains to be seen.

But Howard said he's in a good frame of mind as he prepares for training camp next week.

"I'm happy I'm here. I really didn't want to leave in the first place," Howard said Wednesday, following an informal skate at Joe Louis Arena. "My family loves it here; I love it here. I've got a lot of great friends in the dressing room, so I'm happy for that."

The Red Wings tried to move Howard in the off-season but weren't successful due to his hefty contract (three years remaining at a $5.3 million cap hit), a limited market for goalies and his inconsistent play.

It's not ideal for the Red Wings to have $9.3 million in cap space allotted to goaltending. But Howard is an experienced and proven insurance policy, albeit an expensive one, in case Mrazek is injured or falters like he did in the second half last season.

"Whatever my role is that's what my role is going to be," Howard said. "I'm going to work hard, bring a great attitude and find ways to get better in my game. That's what I can control and that's the approach I'm going to take into the season, find ways to basically reinvent myself out there on the ice."

He added: "Obviously, it's Pete's job to lose (when) you finish the year in between the nets. It's my job to push him, not only to make him better but me better as well."

The schedule is more compressed due to a later start because of the World Cup and a bye week for each team. The Red Wings have 17 sets of back-to-back games. They will be relying on Howard to lighten Mrazek's workload.

"The schedule is almost like we're in an Olympic year," Howard said. "It's going to be very tight, a lot of games each week. You have to be ready to be called upon.

"It's turned into a two-goalie league."

Howard worked on improving his quickness over the summer.

"Just trying to build lower-body strength the best I could to get to Point A to Point B a little quicker," Howard said. "This league is getting so much faster that you have to be able to be in positon and have your feet set."

After working with long-time goaltending coach Jim Bedard his entire NHL career, Howard must get accustomed to Jeff Salajko, the former goalie coach in Grand Rapids.

"We've had a lot of great conversations this summer," Howard said. "We have a good outlook on the season and how we want to approach it."