Blashill reveals why Kronwall skipped the World Cup.

When it was announced that veteran defenseman Niklas Kronwall would not be competing at the World Cup, it was both a surprise as well as a cause for concern for fans of the Wings. However it sounds like although Kronwall may have been able to play, it was a promise he made to the team that kept him out of the tournament.

Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill revealed over the week-end that Kronwall had promised to sit out the tournament if he wasn't 100%, and as a result he opted to use the additional time off to continue recovering from his offseason injury.

"I've got great respect for our players having that opportunity to represent their country," Blashill said. "But he also promised us that he was going to put the Red Wings first. If he didn't feel like he was 100 percent because of the early start of the World Cup, he wasn't going to play, and ultimately that's what he chose to do."

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"His focus right now is being ready for camp, I expect him to be ready for camp," Blashill said. "It's a day-to-day business and we'll see where that brings us."

The bad news is the concerns about an injury this late into the summer are warranted, however the major positive here for the Red Wings is their big physical defenseman will now have a lot of extra time to get in shape for the regular season.