(Another in a series of player profiles prior to training camp.)

Riley Sheahan

Position: Center/wing

Age: 25

Height/Weight: 6-3/222

2016-17 stats: 80 games, two goals, 11 assists, 13 points, minus-29 rating, 14 penalty minutes.

Career stats: 284 games, 38 goals, 60 assists, 98 points, minus-32 rating, 52 penalty minutes.

Contract status: One year remaining at a cap hit of $2.05 million. Will be a restricted free agent in 2018.

2016-17 in review: Failed to score a goal in his first 79 games of the season, a team record. ... Scored twice in the season finale against New Jersey, including the final goal ever scored at Joe Louis Arena. It was his second career two-goal game. ... Team-worst minus-29 rating; only four players in league fared worse. ... Averaged 1:07 on the power play and 52 seconds on the penalty kill. ... Won 50.6 percent of his faceoffs (236-of-466). ... Missed one game with injury (Dec. 29 vs. Ottawa). ... Healthy scratch only once (Jan. 12 at Dallas).

2017-18 outlook: Sheahan got off to a bad start which snowballed into a historically poor campaign. He had finished strong in 2015-16, when he began utilizing his big frame to go to the net and stay there, resulting in better production.

But it didn't carry over and he seemed to quickly lose confidence.

It was a puzzling season, since he was productive his first three years as a third-line center (36 goals in 202 games).

Coach Jeff Blashill continued to show faith in Sheahan, keeping him in the lineup and on the power play as a net-front presence. He should have been sat sooner and more often, and other alternatives should have been explored on an ineffective power play to which Sheahan did not contribute (one goal, two assists).

Blashill cited Sheahan's responsible defensive play, but his plus-minus rating suggests otherwise.

Was it an aberration? The Vegas Golden Knights apparently don't think so, passing on Sheahan in the expansion draft in favor of Tomas Nosek, another third-/fourth-line center, but with only 17 NHL games on his resume.

Despite his size, Sheahan plays soft too often. He's not going to be a physical force but should win more battles in the hard areas of the ice.

Sheahan is expected to center the fourth line with Luke Glendening and either prospect Tyler Bertuzzi or newly acquired Luke Witkowski.

If he struggles again this season, the Red Wings might not want to qualify him, in which case they'd look to trade him.

Key question: Can Sheahan be as productive as he was his first three seasons?