From MLive.com’s Ansar Khan:
Datsyuk feels better, saying he can skate now. Says he is day to day, not sure when he"ll return but confident it will be before Olympics.
— Ansar Khan (@AnsarKhanMLive) January 22, 2014
Pavel Datsyuk (groin) has missed the last seven Red Wings’ contests. The 35-year-old’s last game was the Winter Classic on New Year’s Day.
Certainly Detroit, no longer in a playoff position, needs its star back as soon as possible. But Datsyuk’s importance to Team Russia can’t be understated either. Not only is he a dangerous offensive weapon, he’s one of the top defensive forwards in the world. If he’s not healthy for the Olympics, his country’s chances of winning gold on home soil fall considerably.