Danny-DeKeyser-Shot.JPG

Former Western Michigan defenseman Danny DeKeyser will add size to the Detroit Red Wings defensive corps when he's ready for full-time duty in the NHL.

One player certainly isn't going to turn the Detroit Red Wings into a championship team.

But the Red Wings have seen what's possible when a solid group of young players grow up together and they're excited about what the future might hold after landing defenseman Danny DeKeyser.

DeKeyser, an unrestricted free agent out of Western Michigan, agreed to contract terms Friday and will join a defensive unit of the future that already includes promising rookies Brendan Smith and Brian Lashoff and well as prospects Xavier Ouellet and Ryan Sproul, who will both turn pro next season.

"That's one of the things that's exciting for us," said Jim Nill, the Red Wings assistant general manager. "We've got kind of a young corps that's growing up together. That's how you become a really good team.

"You go back over the years when there was (Nicklas) Lidstrom, (Sergei) Fedorov, (Steve) Yzerman, all these young kids coming together. That's how you build championship teams. We're excited about the opportunity of these guys coming together."

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound DeKeyser chose the Red Wings over at least seven other teams before agreeing to terms on a two-year contract that will pay him $925,000 in the NHL and $75,000 if he goes to Grand Rapids of the AHL.

But he won't be going to Grand Rapids until at least next season as Nill and general manager Ken Holland both said he'll stay with the Red Wings for the remainder of this season.

DeKeyser will join the Red Wings for practice Saturday but won't play Sunday against the Chicago Blackhawks or Monday vs. Colorado, according to Holland, who added that when – or if – DeKeyser finally plays in a game this season will be up to coach Mike Babcock.

"He hasn't skated for about two weeks," Holland said. "If Mike Babcock chooses to use him in a game along the way, it's Mike's decision. Certainly Danny understands we're fighting for a playoff spot and we're not holding tryouts. It's a competition.

"We need wins. We're not putting people out there in a position where they're not quite prepared for the opportunity. He needs to practice every day. Let's put him on the ice every day, practice him for three, four or five days and let Mike Babcock decide if he's going to play."

There was speculation that DeKeyser wanted to a guaranteed a spot in the NHL – "they all do," Holland said – before he made his decision. But the Red Wings were able to offer him one thing nobody else could: The opportunity to play on the team he rooted for as a kid.

DeKeyser is a Macomb native who grew up in Michigan, played youth hockey with Nill's son Trevor and attended the Red Wings prospects camp in Traverse City. He also played one season at WMU under Jeff Blashill, the head coach in Grand Rapids who is a former Red Wings assistant.

"We had an in," Holland admitted.

All 30 NHL teams were after DeKeyser's services a year ago, when he nearly turned pro before returning to WMU for a third and final season. In 118 career games with the Broncos, DeKeyser had 12 goals, 38 assists and 107 penalty minutes.

When he finally does join the Red Wings, he'll add more size to the back end.

"He's 6-foot-3," Nill said. "He's got great size and range. He's got a long stick. He's a very good skater for his size. He knows what his game is. He's very good in his own end, defends well. He doesn't try to do too much."

That said, there's plenty of room for improvement in making the jump to the NHL.

"Like every young kid, it's a big step," Nill said. "You're going from college hockey to the best league in the world, the NHL. You think you're ready for it but until you experience it you don't know how good it is.

"Along with that, every time we talk about young prospects, usually one thing we talk about is strength. That's something he's going to start working on right away. Other than that, just come in and get used to the pace of the game."

Nill said the Red Wings haven't discussed whose spot DeKeyser will take if he's added to the roster. He said that will depend on their injury situation. Nill also said landing DeKeyser won't have an impact on how active the Red Wings are before next week's trade deadline.

The addition of DeKeyser adds more depth to a defensive corps that already includes Niklas Kronwall, Jakub Kindl, Jonathan Ericsson, Kyle Quincey, Ian White, Carlo Colaiacovo, Kent Huskins and the two rookies.

"We're in the process of developing another corps of 'D' ... and there's a better opportunity here," Holland said. "He's a year older. He's more mature and it's a great fit. I'm happy we're able to land him.

"Giving the relationships that were involved I was really hopeful that he would choose to stay home and play for his hometown team and he has done that."