Red Wings coach Blashill on Mike Green: 'He's my kind of player'

New Detroit Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill likes what he sees in Mike Green.

Blashill will have the newly acquired defenseman at his disposal once the team takes to the ice in 2015-16, and he isn't concerned about a seeming imbalance between Green's offensive and defensive skills.

Instead, he feels Green's puck-moving abilities will serve to improve overall team defense.

"I went back and watched a bunch of his shifts, and he’s my kind of player in the sense that I like a defenseman who can move the puck," Blashill told Gregg Krupa of the Detroit News. "And as I said when we signed him, the best defense is getting back the puck and moving it out of your zone. And I think he does that very, very well."

Having said that, Blashill plans to help push Green to improve his overall game in order to make the greatest possible impact.

"I always judge players on did they make more positive plays than negative plays," Blashill said. "So, I’ve had this conversation with Mike: I want to be able to play him against the other team’s best players. I think that’s the kind of ice time he can demand.

"And as long as all those negative plays aren’t going in our net and he’s creating more positives than negatives, then I think he’ll find his way to lots of ice time."

Green found himself buried down the depth chart during his final season in Washington, averaging under 20 minutes per game for the first time since 2007-08.

While his days of 70-plus point seasons appear to be behind him, he did get 45 points in his limited minutes, and could be set for a resurgence under the watchful and encouraging eyes of his new coach, and as he moves the puck up to a bevy of talented Red Wings forwards.