Red Wings Injury Updates: Hronek Back, Lindstrom, Namestnikov Out, Vrana Drawing Closer

The latest Detroit Red Wings injury updates are kind of like how the club’s season is going of late. They’re all over the map. There’s good news, bad news and hopeful news.

On the positive front, defenseman Filip Hronek is returning for Thursday’s game at Madison Square Garden against the New York Rangers. He’s missed the past two games while in COVID-19 protocol.

“I anticipate Fil Hronek being available tonight,” Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said.

UPDATE: The #RedWings have removed defenseman Filip Hronek from the NHL's COVID-19 protocol.

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On the flip side, expectations are that forward Vladislav Namestnikov will miss his second game. He’s out with an undisclosed injury.

“As of right now, no, I don’t anticipate him being available, but we’ll see for sure at game time,” Blashill said.

Defenseman Gustav Lindstrom is also returning to the shelf. Lindstrom, who scored his first NHL goal in Monday’s road loss to the Minnesota Wild, is sidelined with what Blashill termed a “mid-body” ailment.

“It’s day to day that I hope stays day to day,” Blashill said.

This is Lindstrom’s fourth stint on the injury list. The Wings are 2-7 this season when he doesn’t play.

Red Wings Vrana Soon To Be Cleared For Contact

He isn’t quite there yet but injured forward Jakub Vrana is ever so close to being cleared for contact in practice. He’s missed the entire season after undergoing shoulder surgery.

“Not cleared per se,” Blashill said. “He’s getting closer I would say. The guidance is let’s start getting him into controlled contact and then it’s a progression.

Morning skate @ MSG!

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“The progression starts with him initiating contact in a real sterile one-on-one environment and then him receiving contact. This is the stuff that kind of happens after practice. You move from there into a little more fuller contact into full contact. I don’t want to put a direct timeline on it, but it’s the start of the beginning to the end of the injury and hopefully get him ready to play here in the next little bit.”

No one needs to tell his teammates what Vrana’s reintroduction could mean to their offensive productivity. In 11 games last season after arriving in a trade with the Washington Capitals, Vrana collected eight goals and 11 points.

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“Obviously, we saw a little bit of it last year, how talented he is offensively and how he could finish,” Detroit defenseman Marc Staal said. “It’s gonna be a massive boost to us for sure.”

Former Ranger Staal is playing his first game back at MSG since he was dealt to Detroit. This will be his 100th game in a Red Wings uniform.