Jakub Kindl hopes the book hasn't already been written on him as the Detroit Red Wings prepare for training camp under new head coach Jeff Blashill.
The 28-year-old defenseman, a first-round pick of the Wings back in 2005, was used sparingly by Mike Babcock last season, appearing in only 35 games and frequently sitting out as a healthy scratch after coming back from an elbow injury suffered in late December.
"It's a fresh start, not just for me but for everybody," Kindl told Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News on Tuesday of the change behind the bench. "Everybody is at the starting line all the same, and at the end of the day it's a competition."
Earlier this summer, Blashill appeared to be more than willing to afford Kindl the opportunity to assert himself as a regular member of the lineup.
"He's got great ability," Blashill said in July. "He's done a good job persevering through tough times over the last few seasons. Hopefully he's putting himself in a good position to compete for a spot in training camp."
Kindl has appeared in 248 career games with the club, amassing 14 goals and 48 assists. He averaged 16 minutes of ice time per game in 2014-15, scoring five goals and adding eight assists.
