TRAVERSE CITY – A group of talented, young forwards stepped up big for the injury-plagued Detroit Red Wings last season.

Might they receive a similar boost in 2014-15 from one or more of the promising young defensemen in the system?

Probably not at the start, but at some point during the year the Red Wings will be calling on Xavier Ouellet, Alexey Marchenko and/or Ryan Sproul. All three believe they are NHL-ready after one season with the Grand Rapids Griffins. The club also is high on Mattias Backman, a Swede poised for his first full season in North America.

But the Red Wings have seven established NHL defensemen, making it difficult for a rookie to break through regardless of how good he looks at training camp.

"I'm hoping Ouellet, Marchenko, Backman and Sproul all have a chance to push for jobs," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "That's up to them. We're going to watch them for eight exhibitions and see how they do.

"Their skill set ideally will give them opportunity if they're mentally mature enough in their development, and if they've developed enough they should be pushing. If they're not, then they've got to go to Grand Rapids."

They're not just competing with NHL players, they're competing against each other to be first in line to get called up during the season.

It's a friendly competition.

"All of us are good buddies for the most part," Sproul said. "The competition is there obviously, the inner competition is something that we don't show because we all are friends. It's tough, but at the same time it's nice to have those guys around."

Said Marchenko: "That's good for the team, even good for us because we're competing against each other, we're getting better. They're really good guys and everyone has something to offer for the team -- someone can move the puck, someone can defend. We can learn from each other."

Ouellet (6-0, 200) is a good two-way player; he's responsible defensively and can move the puck. Marchenko (6-2, 212) is a strong stay-at-home defender with decent size and a right-handed shot. Sproul (6-4, 205) is an offensive threat, a terrific skater with size and a booming right-handed shot.

Ouellet appears to be the most NHL-ready. He played four regular season games with the Red Wings and was trusted to play in the decisive Game 5 of the playoff series against Boston – in place of Jakub Kindl.

"It was a great feeling, great this experience," Ouellet said. "I realized that I could play. I think I'm ready and I did what I could this summer to get ready for the season."

Ouellet said he must simply be reliable.

"I want the coaches to trust me, put me on the ice in any situation," Ouellet said. "I think that's how I'm going to make the team and gain some ice time and start playing as a regular in this league."

Griffins coach Jeff Blashill said of Ouellet: "Detroit has been real high on him. I know Babs has been real high on him. When he started with us (in Grand Rapids), he struggled a little bit early but by the playoffs he was one of our best defensemen. He is somebody who can handle the pressure of the forecheck."

Ouellet worked his skating this summer in order to get quicker and more agile.

"I feel a lot better on the ice skating, and I got stronger," he said. "I think that's going to help elevate my game."

Marchenko's season ended in late February due to ankle surgery. He's been skating for several weeks and said he believes he is back at full strength.

"I think I'm real close to the level of skating I was before I was injured," Marchenko said. "I want to get onto the ice and play the game, just to feel that I can play again, and just be even better than I was.

"I just want to play safe defensively and take care of the puck and help the team win,"

Red Wings general manager Ken Holland likened Marchenko, who appeared in one game for Detroit (Jan. 4), to Brad Stuart.

"I thought Marchy was arguably one of our best defensemen all year until he got hurt," Blashill said. "I'd be interested myself to see how Marchy handles that high ankle sprain. It's a tough injury coming into camp because I thought he was somebody who might have been the leader heading into main camp had he not got hurt, in terms of earning a spot in Detroit."

Sproul is by far the most offensively gifted of the group.

"The reason I got drafted was for my offensive ability," Sproul said. "I've worked a lot on my defense the last couple of years. That's something I need to be reliable on, too. I want to make sure they know I can play defense as well as offense."

Blashill said of Sproul: "I think Sprouly has unreal dynamics, can skate, can shoot it. And he's blessed with those great abilities, so when he was a younger player he could just get the puck and go. Now he's had to learn in a tough league how to do all the things it takes because there's so many good players. I think his progress has been great and I think he's going to continue to progress because he cares and he wants to get better."

Ouellet, Marchenko, Sproul, Backman and another promising defenseman, Nick Jensen, all have up to two more years of waiver-exempt status. They have time to further develop.

"We added a lot of depth up front last year. We'd like to do the same on the back but they have to be ready," Babcock said. "We're not rushing that process, so when they're ready they'll let us know with their play."

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