–D Niklas Kronwall has no interest in exploring the free-agent market in 2012 and hopes to sign a contract extension at some point this season. The Wings have made it a priority to ink the skilled, puck-moving defenseman who has a knack for delivering crushing open-ice hits, particularly in the playoffs.

–RW Jan Mursak has the two key ingredients every good energy player needs: speed and grit. He is a great skater who competes hard and gets his nose dirty by going to the hard areas of the ice. He made a good impression during 19 games as an injury replacement in 2010-11. This season, he’ll be on the roster from the start of the season, competing for a spot in the lineup.

–RW Patrick Eaves had an opportunity, as an unrestricted free agent, to seek greener pastures this offseason, go where he might get more minutes, a better chance to expand his role. But after playing for multiple NHL teams, he hopes to have found a home in Detroit, so he decided to stay. He will continue to be a key grinder, one of the team’s top penalty-killing forwards who can chip in between 10-13 goals a season.

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