Red Wings D Danny DeKeyser removed from COVID protocol

The Detroit Red Wings have announced a reinforcement, as Danny DeKeyser has been removed from the league’s COVID protocol. DeKeyser hasn’t taken the ice for the team since Nov. 20, but can now return for their match Saturday night if needed.

The 31-year-old has suited up 19 times for the Red Wings this season and is still averaging close to 20 minutes a night in his 10th season. On the final season of a six-year, $30M deal, he’s played a good chunk of the year with young Moritz Seider, giving him a veteran partner to lean on as he learns the league. There have also been healthy scratches for DeKeyser, though, as the team is clearly moving away from the old guard toward a new, young group of defensemen. Whether he goes directly back into the lineup isn’t clear at this point.

Still, after Tyler Bertuzzi entered the protocol recently, it’s good news that the Red Wings are also getting an extra body back. The team may be surprising some with a 12-9-3 record through their first 24, winning each of the last four games, but with two star rookies and a legitimate goaltending tandem, things are looking up in the Motor City.