from Dana Wakiji of the Wings' website,

Making the jump to the NHL is a difficult challenge for any player but especially a young player who is essentially skipping a level.

Michael Rasmussen, the youngest Wing at age 19, was not eligible to go to the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins and would have had to return to his junior team, the Tri-City Americans, had he not made the Wings.

"It's a huge jump and one I think he's handled pretty well," Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. "I think it takes mental toughness and I think he's done a good job with that. When he's had struggles he's been able to get himself out of it and that's a real important thing. I think he's a good player. He's really learning to be heavier on the puck.

"Now the next step is learning how to create offense out of being heavy on the puck. Not just hold onto it but how to find open guys the way the real good down-low players are. That's the next progression for him but he's had a good progression of learning how to win those pucks and being heavy on it."

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