from Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press,\

“I’m definitely excited to see what comes about,” DeKeyser said. “We have young guys knocking on the door who think they’re ready to play and it looks like they are ready to play. So there are probably going to be some tough decisions that are have to be made, maybe more so this year.

“I just hope that our D-corps improves every year, whether it’s the same guys we have or if we have new guys.”

New general manager Steve Yzerman did not return a message seeking comment. There’s been no word yet on what veteran defenseman Niklas Kronwall, 38, will do –he played 79 games last season and looked like he’s figured out how to manage the pain of his bad left knee, but people who were in the locker room the night of the Wings’ finale, April 6, said he was emotional, as if it might have been his last game.

“I know he’s up in the air, from what I’ve heard,” DeKeyser said. “I’m hoping he’s coming back. He’s a great leader and on the ice he’s always cool and confident. If he’s gone, I’ll definitely miss him. I love Nik.”

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