Detroit Red Wings training camp - Saturday

Red Wings center Luke Glendening says he needs to score more than one goal this season.

(Mike Mulholland/MLive.com)

DETROIT – Luke Glendening wants to continue being chippy, while chipping in more offensively.

Glendening didn't reach the NHL because of his offensive ability. But it bothered him to score only one goal in 56 games as a rookie for the Detroit Red Wings.

This year, in addition to the other elements he brings – grit, physicality, checking, penalty killing -- he is determined to fire a few more pucks into the net.

"I have to be more productive," Glendening said. "You can't stay in the lineup and score one goal all year. I want to help the team any way I can. I'm going to be battling for a spot in the lineup every night. Every day will be a challenge and an opportunity.

"I just need to be an all-around better player, from skating to faceoffs (he won 48.5 percent of his draws) to defense to my offensive production."

The Grand Rapids native seems likely to maintain the fourth-line center spot he secured the second half of last season, when he played in all but one game from Jan. 1 to the end of the playoffs. His main competition is Joakim Andersson. If the club uses Andersson in that spot, Glendening could move to right wing, where he played before joining the Red Wings.

Wherever he plays, chances are Glendening will not go 51 games without a goal – the longest a Red Wing has ever gone before scoring his first goal (he also scored in Game 2 of the playoffs).

"I hope not," Glendening said. "I had opportunities. I had more breakaways last year than I've had throughout my whole career. Nothing was going in."

How can he capitalize more?

"I need the puck more. I can't be chasing it around the ice a lot," Glendening said. "I have to have a quicker release and be ready to shoot the puck when I get it. I can't be afraid to shoot it. Sometimes you're always looking to pass; just shoot it on net and see what happens."

Glendening is expected to be in the lineup Saturday, when the Red Wings (2-0-1) face the Boston Bruins in a preseason game at Joe Louis Arena (7 p.m., no TV).

After scoring a couple of goals in training camp scrimmages, Glendening scored in Tuesday's preseason game at Chicago.

"That's confidence with the puck, that's feeling good about yourself," coach Mike Babcock said. "He's just going to continue to grow. He's a hard-working guy; he's as competitive as they come. He's just going to get better."



The Red Wings aren't expecting much offense from a player who scored eight goals in his best season with the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins and 10 during his most productive year at Michigan. But they believe he has a few more goals in him.

"Because he's prepared to go to the hard areas, because he competes so hard, he got opportunities last year and wasn't able to convert," general manager Ken Holland said. "We're hopeful that he's going to score a little bit more than he did last year and we're looking two, three, four years down the line, the longer players are in the NHL, the more comfortable they get, they continue to get a little better."

Holland thinks Glendening has the potential to be like Kirk Maltby, one of the organization's top grinders over the past two decades.

"When I think back to the Red Wings of 10 years ago and the Grind Line, certainly a Maltby, a guy that's got a little bit of an edge, an agitator that can kill penalties, chip in some goals," Holland said. "That's the type of guy we hope Luke Glendening is eventually going to grow into, a guy who can chip in those 5-10 goals, but agitates, takes the opposition off their game."

Maltby, a pro scout for the Red Wings, likes Glendening's potential.

"Luke definitely found a niche last year, has a role and does it very well, especially on the penalty kill; no one can question his work ethic," Maltby said.

Maltby enjoyed being an agitator in his day, and so does Glendening.

"Some guys don't like playing against that, so if that's something I can do to keep a player off their game I'm just going to keep doing it," Glendening said. "I don't know if that's enough to keep me in the lineup. I'm going to have to play hockey, too."

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