“Michael went to work over the last couple of summers and made himself a much better skater,” Blashill said. “He looks like he skates real well now, especially for a big man.”
Rasmussen took the recommendation and advice to heart, spending a lot of time in the off-season working on the areas that needed improvement.
“Just a lot of time in the gym, on the ice, working on my strength and power,” Rasmussen said. “Just different stuff like that. On the ice, going through extra (work) with skating coaches here and people I work with back home (in Vancouver) in the summer.