That one of the items of the shopping list of Detroit GM Steve Yzerman is an experienced No. 2 center is a true tell of where things stand with Suter. There’s no doubt that he’s a useful player with high-end hockey IQ. However, his slight 5-foot-9, 176-pound build led to Suter being overmatched against some of the NHL’s heavier teams.

In the long run, Suter is probably better suited as a No. 3 center so he’s not consistently matching up with bigger and stronger players. “I think there was a period of time in which he dipped a little bit,” Blashill said of Suter’s performance. “I just think it’s learning to be that every day, game in and game out. He’s done a good job of coming back from that when he’s had those dips.

“Certainly the more consistent you are, probably one of the biggest keys in this league is being able to do it night in and night out. I think other than that, his game’s in a pretty good spot. He’s a good player and I think it’s important sometimes to instead of worrying about how you grow, worrying about how you really stay and continue to be a real solid player and he’s done a good job of that.”

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