From The Free Press:

Officially, the Red Wings do not start training camp until Sept. 15, but about a dozen couldn't wait and have opted to start early. They included goalie-of-the-future Jimmy Howard, elite defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom and veteran broadcaster Mickey Redmond. Robert Lang was at the Troy Sports Center, too, as were Kris Draper, Mathieu Schneider, Andreas Lilja, Chris Chelios, Niklas Kronwall and Tomas Holmstrom, among others.

Good to see the guys are ready to go. This season will be very interesting. With the CBA and the losses of Yzerman, Shanny, Fischer, and Legace, how will they make out?

The way this season plays out for the Wings could potentially define their status in the league for years to come.

Gone are the free spending days that helped the Wings be favorites year after year. There is new blood, and a new captain (probably Lidstrom).

There are young guys who needed to sign with the big club, or be lost to waivers, who will finally get a chance to see if they fit the puzzle.

Will the team still rely on puck control? Will they find the physical edge of their game that had been missing for years? Will Hasek's groin hold up?

I can't wait.

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