from Ansar Khan of Mlive,

...It’s still the team’s weakest area, a position that surely will transition to more youth during the season and in 2020-21 as several veterans enter the final year of their contract.

Health was a major issue for the unit in 2018-19. Mike Green, Trevor Daley and Jonathan Ericsson missed significant time due to injuries. All are expected to be ready for the start of training camp Sept. 13 in Traverse City.

While the Red Wings’ defense is a work in progress, with a number of combinations likely to used throughout the season, there is a distinct line between the top four and the rest for now.

Green, Danny DeKeyser, Patrik Nemeth and Filip Hronek are expected to form the top two pairs, providing the team with two lefty-righty combinations, an offensive-minded player with a stay-at-home type.

Green, who missed the start and the end of the season due to a virus, and DeKeyser likely will form the top pairing, having played some together.

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