The Detroit Red Wings stayed off the ice Tuesday, using a break between exhibition games to catch their collective breath for the first time since training camp began.

They have three more exhibition games left, returning to play at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday against the Chicago Blackhawks and Friday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Expect a Wings lineup loaded with NHLers against the Leafs, who are likely to bring a lineup heavy on minor leaguers, with the rosters flipped for Saturday’s game in Toronto.

They made one move Tuesday, assigning defense prospect Dennis Cholowski to Prince George of the Western Hockey League.

Cholowski, the 20th overall pick from 2016, looks like he’s setting himself up to have a really good 2017-18 season. He had a good showing at development camp in July and built on that during training camp. Monday saw Cholowski, 19, earn his first point in three exhibition games when he took a pass from Dylan Larkin and tapped the puck ahead to Anthony Mantha, who made it 2-0 over Pittsburgh.

What’s changed since a disappointing 2016-17 season (1 goal, 12 points, minus-9 in 36 games) at St. Cloud State? The 19-year-old has grown a little more into his body.

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“I just had a really good summer working out and getting bigger and stronger,” Cholowski said. “That built my confidence. Then going into training camp and being able to play well and get some exhibition games — confidence is everything. Confidence is building and I am trying to keep it on an upward direction.”

The next step is to use that confidence to take command on the ice. “Try not to be shy out there like every young player is in their first few games,” Cholowski said. “The coaches have really been pushing that on me.”

Coach Jeff Blashill said Cholowski “should take the experience he has had here and have lots of confidence moving forward. The big step he’s got to take is controlling the play. He has the ability to have the puck on his stick lots, make tons of plays, not just kind of be out there and make good breakout passes — there is nothing wrong with that, but I think he can be way more than that if he takes command.”

Frk gaining foothold: Prospect Martin Frk didn’t get an assist, but he had a hand in generating Mantha’s goal, too. Frk made a play along the wall when he backhanded the puck between his legs to Larkin.

Frk has shown significant improvement in breaking out pucks from the wall, and Blashill said “that’s a hard thing for wingers and in today’s game there are so many pucks that go up the wall because everybody forechecks so hard. He just seems to have calmed his game down. He works extremely hard, he’s got a big body and he’s got a weapon of a shot.”

Frk used his big shot to score twice Saturday. Monday he had four shots on net. For a team searching for ways to get more scoring, Frk is doing what he needs to make himself fit. “He’s got a weapon and he knows he’s got a weapon,” Blashill said. “But he made plays too because he’s calmed his game down enough. He seems to make more of the right decisions offensively. I can’t say enough things about his work ethic.”

Frk, a second-round pick from 2012, appears headed for the opening night roster. A year ago, he was cut and put on waivers, but when he quickly became available again, the Wings returned him to the fold. Frk responded with a career year in Grand Rapids. He has room for improvement, of course, but he’s a 205-pound, 6-feet-1 winger who shoots right and shoots hard, and endears himself with his willingness to work.

“I think the two biggest factors in individual success are work ethic and perseverance,” Blashill said. “He’s shown tons of that. He looks like a guy that could help our team potentially be better. I don’t want to get ahead of myself — let’s see. Let’s play him more games here. But the way he has played so far, he can make our team better. He can provide scoring but also provide forecheck pressure and backcheck pressure.”

Contact Helene St. James: hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames.