It is difficult to picture Luke Glendening in another NHL team’s jersey after spending nearly his entire career in the state, from the University of Michigan to the Grand Rapids Griffins to the Detroit Red Wings.
Glendening, 32, has an opportunity to explore the free-agent market this summer, but the situation in Detroit probably would need to somehow go sideways for him not to return.
“Growing up in Grand Rapids and growing up a Red Wings fan and then being able to be here my whole career so far is a dream come true,” Glendening said. “I don’t know what the future holds, but obviously I love being a Red Wing and we’ll see what happens. Every day I get to put on a Red Wings sweater is a special day to me.
“I think there’s some mutual interest in coming back to Detroit, but I don’t know how it’ll play out.”
Glendening is coming off a four-year contract with a $1.8 million cap it. Chances are the club will wait until after the July 21 Seattle expansion draft to sign any of the UFAs it wants to retain in order to avoid having to use a protection slot or expose them.
Glendening has been a valuable role player in eight seasons with the Red Wings as a checking-line center (sometimes winger). He has consistently been at or near the team lead in blocked shots, hits, penalty-kill minutes, and face-off percentage (he ranked second in the NHL to Boston’s Patrice Bergeron this season).
He spent most of this season on the Red Wings’ most consistent line, with Adam Erne, a restricted free agent who surely will return, and Darren Helm, a UFA whose future is uncertain.
“We just tried to bring a work ethic and compete every single night,” Glendening said. “Adam had a great year offensively. Helmer and I, not so much. We figured if we could play in the other team’s zone, play a physical game, and grind the other team’s top line down it would give us a chance to win. We relished that opportunity and did the best we could with it.”
Glendening is optimistic about the future, after the Red Wings improved in points percentage (from .250 to .429) and moved from 31st and last overall to 27th.
“I think we’re a lot closer than we were,” Glendening said. “We had a few stinkers, but for the most part on a night to night basis we were competitive. The year before we were down by a lot so often you didn’t have the opportunity to feel what it was like to play in those close games, and I thought this year we did more of that.
“With these young guys coming up, it’s exciting for the organization. We got a glimpse of Joe (Veleno), he looked real good. The development of Ras (Michael Rasmussen), (Filip) Zadina, (Dennis) Cholowski, Givani Smith, (Gustav) Lindstrom, there’s a lot of reason for optimism.
“We still have a ways to go, but I think we’re starting to move in the right direction. I think all these seasons of losing will hopefully teach us lessons as we move forward.”
Spoken like someone who plans on being part of the future.
More: Red Wings’ offensive improvement must come mostly from within
The Link LonkMay 28, 2021 at 05:07PM
https://www.mlive.com/redwings/2021/05/red-wings-luke-glendening-well-see-what-future-holds.html
Red Wings’ Luke Glendening: ‘We’ll see what future holds’ - MLive.com
https://news.google.com/search?q=Red&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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