Red Wings' Ryan Sproul: Determined to make big club

Sproul is focused on making the opening night roster with the Red Wings, MLive.com reports. "My goal is to make it really hard for them to give me up," he said. "I'm coming in here with the mindset of making this team."

Analysis:

We like Sproul's chances of breaking camp; he's no longer waiver exempt, Detroit sorely needs more playmaking defensemen, and veteran blueliner Niklas Kronwall is dealing with a nagging knee injury. At 6-foot-4 and 206 pounds, Sproul shouldn't have trouble acclimating to the physical nature of the NHL game, though scouts have been quick to point out that he can be a lax defender at times. The more experienced Xavier Ouellet will also be contending for a roster spot, making it that much more important for Sproul to show improvement defensively.