Red Wings giving college players a look

Detroit — With the college hockey season winding down, undrafted players are getting plenty of attention from NHL teams.

The Red Wings are interested in several players.

Two defensemen lead the way, Western Michigan's Dan DeKeyser and Nebraska-Omaha's Andrej Sustr.

Once the Broncos' season is officially over — Western Michigan is on the NCAA Tournament bubble — DeKeyser will be one of the most highly sought players available.

The senior defenseman from Macomb has good size (6 foot 3, 190 pounds), moves the puck, and plays a safe game defensively.

DeKeyser, 23, played under Jeff Blashill (Grand Rapids Griffins coach who was a Red Wings assistant last season) at Western Michigan, and played youth hockey with Trevor Nill (son of Red Wings assistant general manager Jim Nill).

Despite the tie-ins, though, the Red Wings will have plenty of competition for DeKeyser.

Sustr, 22, will likely sign with an NHL team by the end of the weekend. About 20 teams, including the Red Wings, have expressed interest in one of the more intriguing prospects available.

Sustr is a rangy 6-8, 225-pounds but needs to work on his physical strength in the estimation of some scouts.

A classic late bloomer, Sustr has attracted a lot of interest from the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers.

The Red Wings are close to a contract with junior Northern Michigan goalie Jared Coreau, who gave up his final season of eligibility.

Coreau, 21, had a 2.70 goals-against average and .919 save percentage in 38 starts (15-19-4 record) this season, but it's his 6-foot-4, 204-pound size and performance behind a low-scoring Northern Michigan team that intrigued about seven teams that contacted Coreau.