Ansar Khan of Mlive spoke with Jeff Blashill...
Q: This is a big year for Evgeny Svechnikov, who no longer is waiver-exempt. What does he need to show to prove he is NHL-ready?
A: “I just talked to him the other day and he seemed like he’s doing pretty well and excited to get going. He’s a very hard-working young guy. He’s continued to work hard through a lot of injuries. It hasn’t always been easy. Hopefully that perseverance pays off. He’s going to have to make a big impact on a night to night basis in some fashion to a degree greater than other guys.