Reprieved from the doghouse, Detroit Red Wings' Erik Gustafsson vows, 'I can do better'

Performing so poorly it leads to being pulled from the lineup is a rough way to start a new gig, but the Detroit Red Wings naturally wanted Erik Gustafsson to have an opportunity to do better.

"I know I didn't play well in the first game, and I know I can do better," Gustafsson said this week. "I just have to be better. I know what I can bring to this team."

The Wings signed the 32-year-old defenseman to a two-year, $4 million contract in free agency in the hopes he could ameliorate the loss of Shayne Gostisbehere, the dynamic offensive defenseman who had such an impact on the power play last season. (He walked in free agency, signing with the Carolina Hurricanes for three years at $3.2 million per.) The Wings are Gustafsson's eighth NHL team, so he's familiar with adjusting to new surroundings.

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Gustafsson was a minus-2 in about 20 minutes of play in the Wings' Oct. 10 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

"I just have to play better in my own zone with the puck," Gustafsson said. "Make the simple play, close gaps.

"That wasn't the game I wanted to start with here. I know I can play much, much better. I'm not going to sit here and be upset or mad. I'm just going to keep looking forward."

Looking back at the opener, Head coach Derek Lalonde pointed to Gustafsson's "five-on-five play. He's been around enough, he's a professional. I think he wanted more out of his five-on-five game in Game 1."

It was a bad game all the way around for the Wings, and one that defenseman Jeff Petry left early after sustaining an upper-body injury. Between Petry's unavailability and Gustafsson's particular struggle, the Wings took the opportunity to bring Justin Holl back up after sending him to the minors, and also to insert rookie Albert Johansson into the lineup. Petry is still unavailable, so Holl was slated to play again Thursday night against the Rangers, but the Wings wanting Gustafsson back in the lineup meant Johansson was scratched.

"Reality is, Justin got an opportunity, Johansson got an opportunity, and we put together two really good team games when [Gustafsson] was out," Lalonde said.

With the power play nearly flatlining three games in — it was 1-for-11 — the Wings looked to Gustafsson again, to see if he could more like the player they thought they were signing.

Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com . Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames .

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Her latest book, “The Franchise: Detroit Red Wings , A Curated History of the Red Wings,” was released October 2024. Her books, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” and “The Big 50: The Men and Moments that made the Detroit Red Wings” are available from Amazon , Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Reprieved from the doghouse, Detroit Red Wings' Erik Gustafsson vows, 'I can do better'