Red Wings at New York Rangers 4-9-16

The Red Wings' Riley Sheahan created havoc around the net over the final 25 games of the season.

(The Associated Press)

DETROIT - Riley Sheahan resembled a power forward the final six weeks of the regular season. He was strong on the puck, provided a net presence with his big frame and his production picked up.

This is what the Detroit Red Wings expect to see from Sheahan on a consistent basis.

"The first half of the year he didn't play quite as well as we had expected from the previous year and then I thought the last 25 games he took a real jump in his performance," Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said. "He's 24 years of age. A lot of times with younger players it's confidence and starting to understand that you can do some things that maybe you didn't know you could do when you were younger, and I'd like to think that's what's going on with Riley. He's a big man with skill."

The Red Wings officially announced Thursday that they have signed Sheahan to a two-year contract. It has a $2.075 million cap hit. His cap hit was $950,000 in 2015-16. Sheahan will be a restricted free agent when the deal expires in 2018.

"His best years are still well ahead of him," Holland said. "We're excited to get him signed to a two-year contract and we think he's going to have a bigger role on our team going forward. Our hope is he can grow into a top (two) line center."

Sheahan (6-3, 222) centered the third line most of the season, but was moved up to the second line on occasion and also played on the wing. He had seven goals and 12 points in the final 23 games, following a stretch of 17 games without a point. He finished with 14 goals and 25 points in 81 games.

"He's a big body, we're looking for big bodies," Holland said. "He's not a player who's going to run around and hit people but I thought he got a little more aggressive, a little more confidence. There's no doubt he's a legitimate top-nine forward and we're hoping in the next couple of years he can grow into a bigger role."

Datsyuk deadline approaching: Pavel Datsyuk is back in town for his hockey camp, which starts Friday at Orchard Lake St. Mary's. Holland said he's had some brief conversations with Datsyuk about his future but nothing formal yet.

"I'm anticipating at the very latest he'll have his decision announced by Monday (if not before)," Holland said.

Holland leaves for the entry draft in Buffalo on Tuesday and said he needs to know what Datsyuk is doing before that.

It is widely expected that Datsyuk will play in Russia next season.

UFA updates: Holland said he'll resume talks with Drew Miller's agent next week as they work on getting a one-year deal done.

Darren Helm won't decide on his future until after he's had a chance to speak with other clubs during the free-agent interview period prior to July 1.

"He's obviously earned that right," Holland said. "I'll stay in contact with his agent and see where it goes."

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