Blueliner Dan DeKeyser should feel right at home with the Red Wings. (Brace Hemmelgarn/Icon SMI)

By Allan Muir

Danny DeKeyser’s decision today to sign with the Detroit Red Wings was about as surprising as, well, Good Friday falling on a Friday.

After a dog-and-pony show that saw this year’s top NCAA free agent meet with at least eight NHL teams, he did exactly what we all knew he would by agreeing to a two-year entry-level deal with the Wings.

The odds were stacked in their favor along. DeKeyser, who grew up in suburban Detroit, attended a Red Wings’ prospect camp last fall. His former coach at Western Michigan, Jeff Blashill, currently mans the bench for Detroit’s AHL farm club in Grand Rapids. DeKeyser even played youth hockey with the son of Wings’ assistant GM Jim Nill.

Outside of covering his body in Red Wings tattoos, this one was pretty much telegraphed from the start.

Even without the element of surprise, this was a great get for Detroit.

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With many teams strapped for cap space, the Jarome Iginla sweepstakes may fizzle. (Derek Leung/Getty Images)

By Allan Muir

A notated guide to this morning’s must-read hockey stories:

• The jam-packed standings and inflationary asset demands may conspire to dull this year’s trade deadline, according to CBC’s Elliotte Friedman.

• So, too, might a lack of impact players. Friedman’s late-night reaction to the Corey Perry signing suggested that the Ducks couldn’t afford to let the valuable winger slip away. How many other teams will feel that way about their assets ahead of the deadline?

• Here’s the reaction from the OC to Perry’s signing. Here’s my reaction.

• Serving the third game of his four-game suspension kept Perry out of Anaheim’s lineup on Monday night. Didn’t matter. The Ducks had no trouble disposing of the Sharks to earn their franchise-record 12th consecutive home victory.

• Here’s a good read from George Johnson on the parallel lives of Jarome Iginla and Brenden Morrow.

• With realignment bringing (some) geographical sanity back to the NHL, the AHL could be following suit with a realignment of affiliates.

• Sidelined Rangers defenseman Marc Staal hasn’t said much since suffering an eye injury last month, but his family has kept everyone informed along the way. Brother Jordan said last night that he believes his older brother is hopeful of returning to play this season.

• The Rangers’ offense continues to struggle, but one regulation goal was enough to earn two points, thanks to a magnificent performance from Henrik Lundqvist.

• An 0-5-1 slump has New Jersey on the verge of the playoff precipice, making tonight’s game against the Rangers a must-win. Martin Brodeur practiced with the Devils on Monday for the first time in three weeks but he’s not expected to play tonight against the New York. He hopes to be ready for a start against Carolina on Thursday.

• The Sabres sent Mikhail Grigrorenko back to juniors. Stefan Matteau was returned to Blainville-Boisbriand by the Devils. But Montreal underager Alex Galchenyuk is sticking with the Habs for the long run.

• The passing of former Canadiens executive Frank Selke, Jr. was mourned around the sporting world.

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Marc Staal’s injury reignited the visor debate and postponed the NHL’s first three-Staal game. (Elsa/Getty Images)

By Allan Muir

A notated guide to this morning’s must-read hockey stories:

• The NHLPA refuses to agree to a common sense rule mandating the use of visors for its members, but the demands of insurance companies may take the issue out of their hands. Visors will be among the agenda items when the NHL’s general managers meet Wednesday in Toronto.

• Marc Staal’s lingering eye injury means tonight’s Hurricanes-Rangers matchup won’t be the first three Staal game in NHL history.

• The Penguins held on to beat the Bruins in Sunday’s nationally televised game, but lost defenseman Kris Letang. The Pens don’t skate today, so we may not know until Tuesday the nature and severity of his ailment. If it’s for any kind of term, Boston’s domination of the second and third periods suggests that Pittsburgh will need to look into a replacement. Meanwhile, Evgeni Malkin skated Sunday, but his availability for Tuesday remains TBD.

• Dejan Kovacevic breaks down how all hands have been on deck during Pittsburgh’s nine-game winning streak.

• No word yet on the status of David Krejci. Boston’s top center took the full force of a Johnny Boychuk point blast off the top of his knee in Sunday’s loss. Krejci was seen walking to the bus, albeit gingerly, so there’s hope that it’s just a deep (and probably very painful) bruise.

• Kevin Allen examines the sign or trade options facing top free agents-to-be.

• Is it time for the Winnipeg Jets to free first-rounder Alex Burmistrov from his press-box exile?

• Progressing contract talks could pull the names of Islanders’ veterans Mark Streit, Evgeni Nabokov and Lubomir Visnovsky out of the rumor mill.

• It took Ryan Suter 10 games to get comfortable in his new surroundings, but he’s catapulted himself back into Norris contention with a tremendous stretch of hockey over the last six weeks.

• “I don’t want to be the guy that crashes Terry’s car.” Check out this behind-the-scenes look at the parent/mentor trip the Buffalo Sabres put on this season. Guess it wouldn’t suck to be an NHL player after all.

• The return of Ryan O’Reilly is bringing out the best in Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog. Meanwhile, Bob McKenzie tweeted that 2010 first rounder Joey Hishon is set to play his first game in nearly two years after suffering a concussion in the 2011 Memorial Cup.

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