Kronwall to Return Tuesday, Lilja Inching Closer

Detroit defenseman Niklas Kronwall will return to the Red Wings’ lineup on Tuesday as the Phoenix Coyotes visit Joe Louis Arena.

The team announced on Monday that Kronwall, who has been out since November 21 after a knee-on-knee hit from Montreal’s Georges Laraque, will rejoin defense partner Brad Stuart on the second blueline pairing and will take his usual place on the point with the second power play unit.

Kronwall’s return comes along with the news that defenseman Andreas Lilja hasn’t experienced a headache in 13 days. Lilja, who hasn’t played in a year with post-concussion symptoms, needs to go 14 days without a headache to be cleared to begin full-contact practices. He is hopeful that he could return to the lineup soon.

Tomas Holmstrom, out with a broken foot since early this month, is targeting this week for a return. Jason Williams hopes to return from his fractured fibula in early Feburary.

Johan Franzen, originally expected to be out until March, could return on the same West Coast road trip as Williams.