Red Wings’ Michael Rasmussen set to return after four-game absence due to upper-body injury

Detroit Red Wings center Michael Rasmussen will make his return to the lineup Thursday versus the Utah Hockey Club after missing the past four games due to an upper-body injury, reports Ansar Khan of Michigan Live.

Rasmussen originally sustained the injury in a late February contest against the Anaheim Ducks when he received a hit to the head by Ducks center Trevor Zegras. Rasmussen now returns to the lineup following 56 appearances with the Red Wings this season in which he has recorded nine goals and seven assists for 16 points coupled with 15 penalty minutes and a minus-five rating.

Originally chosen ninth overall by Detroit in the 2017 NHL Draft, Rasmussen has totaled 369 career contests with the Red Wings in which he has registered 58 goals and 77 assists for 135 points. Last season, the 25-year-old native of Surrey, B.C., reached a career-high 33 points counting 13 goals and 20 assists coming in 75 games.

Beyond part of six seasons with the Red Wings, Rasmussen has also seen success at the minor-pro level, where through 45 total appearances with the AHL affiliated Grand Rapids Griffins he has collected 11 goals and 19 assists for 30 points.

Per PuckPedia, Rasmussen is in the first year of a four-year deal that carries a $3.2-million annual average value.

For the Red Wings, the club enters Thursday’s contest against Utah looking to snap a three-game losing skid that has pushed the team outside of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference. On the season, the Red Wings hold a 30-25-6 record and 66 points but sit behind the New York Rangers for the second wildcard seed due to the regulation wins tie-breaker.

The Red Wings are aiming to advance to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2016, the NHL’s longest active drought behind only the Atlantic Division rival Buffalo Sabres.