Red Wings outlook: Daniel Cleary

Daniel Cleary was a healthy scratch in the Red Wings' first 12 games this season.

(AP File Photo)

NEW YORK - Daniel Cleary will make his season debut for the Detroit Red Wings tonight against the New York Rangers.

Cleary has been a healthy scratch during the Red Wings first 12 games but after back-to-back losses to start their three-game road trip that concludes tonight, coach Mike Babcock tweaked his lineup as Detroit tries to snap a four-game losing vs. the Rangers.

Cleary and rookie Andrej Nestrasil, who sat out the last two games, are in the lineup while Tomas Jurco and Joakim Andersson will be healthy scratches.

Is coach Mike Babcock eager to see what Cleary can provide?

"I'm eager to win, how's that?" Babcock said, referring to Tuesday's loss in Ottawa. "I just think that last night we weren't prepared, we didn't play hard enough. It was un-Red Wing like. To me, that start's unacceptable.

"A big part of what Dan Cleary is supposed to provide here is leadership and helping young guys be better. I'm sure he can do that."

Babcock said Cleary will skate alongside Drew Miller and Luke Glendening in warmups.

Cleary, 35, missed the second half of last season with chronic knee issues before signing a one-year deal to return for a 10th season with the Red Wings.

"Here's his opportunity, right?" Babcock said. "So what do you do with it? I'm going to watch just like you. I'm going to see what happens tonight. I'm about winning. When you win, I don't make many changes.

"I think he's one of these guys who can help people around him be better."

In 52 games last season, Cleary had four goals and four assists. He did not play after Jan. 28.

He needs to play 10 games to collect a $1 million bonus on top of his $1.5 million salary. The bonus can be applied to next season's salary cap.

Nestrasil was a healthy scratch the last two games - Sunday's 3-2 shootout loss in Buffalo and Tuesday's 3-1 loss in Ottawa - after Johan Franzen came off the injured list.

He has one assist in 10 games.

Babcock said scratching Jurco and Andersson wasn't an easy decision.

"Two guys drew the short straw but there could have been a bunch," he said. "There was a whole bunch of guys battling to be out tonight. I'm not sure (Jurco is) the guy who should be out tonight. But he's just a kid.

"The NHL is a hard league. I've seen a lot of guys come back for their second year and it doesn't go quite as good and now it's the mental part. When you think about it, I probably put gas on the fire today."

The Red Wings didn't arrive in New York until late Tuesday night after the loss in Ottawa but Babcock doesn't think that's an excuse for not coming out strong against the Rangers.

"It's mental," he said. "It's going to be, get your legs in warmups, get going. You can sit back easy and say, 'Geez we traveled in late. We played.' Give me a break. Let's play.

"The puck is going to be dropped, we're at Madison Square Garden, we're playing the Rangers. We were no good last night. Let's be better tonight."