Detroit Red Wings vs. Boston Bruins - Oct. 15, 2014

Jakub Kindl, unable to get playing time in Detroit, asked to go to Grand Rapids to get in some playing time. The defenseman played three full seasons with the Griffins.

(Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Defenseman Jakub Kindl wasn't playing in Detroit, so he asked if he could join the Grand Rapids Griffins for some long-missed game experience.

The fifth-year NHL veteran had not been in a game since Dec. 27, a day before he suffered a sprained elbow in practice. He said the elbow is fine - and he was cleared to play two weeks ago- but he has remained inactive with the Red Wings.

So, he asked.

"I actually went to talk to the coaches and asked what they recommend or suggest," Kindl said. "And when this came up, I said, 'Yeah, I'll come down for that.'"

Kindl played with the Griffins on Sunday in Chicago and is scheduled to remain for the next three games, all at home - Wednesday (Milwaukee), Friday and Saturday (both against Hamilton).

"Obviously, the team (Red Wings) is playing well and there haven't been a lot of changes, so this came up and I said I'm going to go," Kindl said.

He remains on the Red Wings' 23-man roster while on loan.

Coach Jeff Blashill paired him with Brendan Evans at Chicago, and that's not expected to change.

"I know Jakub from my time in Detroit and he's a real good puck mover who uses his smarts defensively," Blashill said. "And I thought that's what we saw in that first game, and what we expect we'll continue to see."

Jakub Kindl works the puck against Chicago while playing for Grand Rapids in a game from 2008.

Kindl, 28, has played in 28 games with the Red Wings this season with nine points (2-7-9) and a minus-one. The former first-round pick in 2005 has appeared in 241 games overall in Detroit since his final call-up from Grand Rapids in 2010.

He felt his quickness was lacking against Chicago, which he expects will improve with ice time. He participated in his first full practice with the Griffins on Tuesday.

"I know that will come," he said. "I've been practicing a lot, but that can't

compare to game situation. So I've been trying to do as much as I can."

Kindl said he doesn't think about where he might fit in with the Red Wings, who have been giving Alexey Marchenko an extended look on the blue line - and that after they had up another promising prospect in Xavier Ouellet.

"Some things you can't control and you can't spend a lot of time on that," he said. "Right now I'm in Grand Rapids and here to help as much as I can. And what happens next, I'll just let it be."

After Saturday's game in Grand Rapids, Kindl is scheduled to rejoin the Red Wings on Sunday on the west coast. The Red Wings have back-to-back games Feb. 23 (Anaheim) and Feb. 24 (Los Angeles).

Pete Wallner covers sports for MLive/Grand Rapids Press. Email him at pwallner@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Google+.