DETROIT - Detroit Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman skated Tuesday morning for the first time since his major offseason knee surgery. He was by himself. He went lightly. He came off fairly quickly. But, needless to say, to the Red Wings it was welcome news.

"Certainly that was the buzz around the locker room, that Steve was on the ice," general manager Ken Holland said. "Everybody was kind of excited."

Holland said the doctors recommended Yzerman start to skate on occasion.

"It's part of his rehab now," Holland said. "I just think it's a step along the road to recovery."

Holland said based on what he had been told Yzerman was ahead of schedule. But that doesn't mean Yzerman will come back ahead of schedule. The Wings are aiming for February.

"In the end we're going to err on the side of caution; I believe he's going to err on the side of caution," Holland said. "The most important thing is to make sure he's 100 percent healthy. To rush him back doesn't make any sense."

TIME OFF:

The Wings have three days off before playing four games in six nights again.

"The break seems to be coming at a good time," coach Dave Lewis said.

It gives the Wings a chance to heal. Forward Darren McCarty (foot) played against San Jose, but Tomas Holmstrom (sternum) and Henrik Zetterberg (groin) sat out.

Holmstrom was hurt when hit by a defenseman in the third period Saturday night at Nashville. He did not skate Tuesday morning. Lewis said Holmstrom's status was day-to-day.

Zetterberg has been out since leaving the first period last Wednesday night against Los Angeles. He skated on his own Tuesday morning. Lewis said Zetterberg felt "real good" but had to go through a full practice to test the groin.

"He skated hard on his own," Lewis said. "But that's different than skating with the group and battling and things like that."

Lewis said the Wings might have an optional skate today, but he would kick everyone off the ice after 30 minutes-instead of the usual hour-plus-for a full off-ice workout.

"It's also a good time to really get an aggressive workout in the weight room, because we haven't had a lot of time to do something like that," Lewis said.

NOTEBOOK:

Forward Brett Hull hit goaltender Manny Legace in the head with one of his wicked shots Tuesday morning. Legace was shaken up and had a black mark on his mask, but he was fine. "Work hazard," he said. ... Although the Wings called up Stacy Roest from AHL Grand Rapids, they scratched him Tuesday night because McCarty was able to play.