Drew Miller

Red Wings forward Drew Miller appeared in only 28 games this season due to injuries.

(Mike Mulholland/MLive.com)

DETROIT - Drew Miller expects his surgically repaired knee to be better than ever by training camp and hopes to return to the Detroit Red Wings.

The club must decide whether to offer the fourth-line forward a contract. Miller, 32, can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Miller has been one of the team's top penalty-killing forwards and shot-blockers since being acquired on waivers from the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2009. He earned $1.35 million this past season.

"Right now, for me it's just getting myself healthy and giving myself an opportunity to get another contract," Miller said last week, on locker cleanout day.

Miller's season ended on Jan. 10, when he injured his knee in Anaheim. He had major reconstructive surgery on his ACL and meniscus repair.

He began skating late in the season but hadn't been cleared to practice.

"I think it was right around the first of June, that was the goal to be back skating with the team in the Stanley Cup Finals," Miller said. "Now this goes into the summer, I'll continue to rehab it, so far so good. Everything is on the right path. The knee is feeling a lot better every time."

Miller said the ligament has been partially torn for 10 years. He's worn some sort of brace for the knee his whole career. He said he didn't get it taken care of sooner because he never had a problem.

"I was able to skate and play, and I was fine," Miller said. "It was just something you deal with. It never hindered me. When I tore my meniscus they went in and fixed both. Now it already feels better than it has."

Miller was injured in just his second game back after missing 14 games due to a broken jaw suffered on Dec. 3 on a check from Klas Dahlbeck of the Arizona Coyotes.

Miller, who until then owned the longest current games played streak on the team at 190, appeared in just 28 games, picking up a goal and an assist.

"One of those years you want to forget it a little bit," Miller said. "The good thing is my knee is going to come back stronger. Definitely motivated."

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