Raymond among three Red Wings skaters viewed as game-time decisions ahead of matchup against the Capitals

Coming off a glorious 4-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers, the Detroit Red Wings will be attempting to extend their current three-game winning streak when they take on the Washington Capitals on Thursday, however, they could be forced to do so without three key skaters.

On Wednesday, @Lucas Raymond, @Marc Staal and @Filip Hronek were all absent from practice as they each were provided maintenance days, allowing them to focus on recovery. As Detroit took to the ice for Thursday’s morning skate, all three of these players were seen participating in line rushes and some light drills, signalling they weren’t any worse for wear.

While that seemed to be the case, once coach Jeff Blashill spoke during his post-skate press conference, most of that optimism began to slightly fade away as he currently views those skaters as game-time decisions.

Based on these comments from Blashill, it seems everyone will be forced to wait until the Red Wings submit their official lineup card, which will likely be released around 6:30 pm ET – just before the pregame skate.

If all three of Raymond, Staal and Hronek don’t play, that could prove to be extremely problematic for Detroit as they’d be forced to make several lineup changes, particularly on the blue line. Considering they’re only carrying one extra defenseman who’s healthy, in @Jordan Oesterle, a roster move could be required if more than one spot on the backend needs to be filled.

Upfront, @Robby Fabbri or @Filip Zadina would likely be called upon to fill in on the club’s top line if Raymond indeed is unavailable to play. As for the bottom six, either @Carter Rowney or @Mitchell Stephens would be expected to draw in as the 12th forward.

For now, let’s remain optimistic and assume everyone who participated in the morning skate will end up being available when the curtain rises for the Red Wings’ 15th game of the 2021-22 campaign.

Meeting for a second time this season, Detroit and Washington will face off against one another at 7:30 pm ET, which can be seen on Bally Sports Detroit.