TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. -- In his career with the Detroit Red Wings, Darren McCarty has never been shy about using his fists.

McCarty spent his offseason honing his pugilistic prowess. But the work he's been doing with trainer Al Irish is to help him when he has his gloves on.

''This year I'm in as good a shape as I've ever been,'' said McCarty, who carries a sculpted 215 pounds on his 6-foot-1 frame. ''I'm not a guy that needs to get too much stronger, I just need to get quicker and boxing has really helped.

''Endurance-wise and conditioning-wise, there's nothing better than boxing.''

The 30-year-old right wing settled for a one-year qualifying offer from Detroit, but would like to get a long-term deal done before he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

''We're going to continue to talk to him during the year and try to get something done,'' Wings assistant general manager Jim Nill said.

The 2001-02 regular season didn't exactly work out the way McCarty wanted. He played in just 62 of 82 regular season games, and had five goals and seven assists. It was the fewest goals he scored since netting five in 31 games back in 1994-95, his second season with the Wings.

''He finished strong in the playoffs,'' Red Wings coach Dave Lewis said. ''I know Darren is expecting a better year this year than he had last year.''

McCarty nearly bettered his goal-scoring output from the regular season in the 2002 playoffs. And three of his four postseason scores came in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals against Colorado.

The Red Wings begin defending the Stanley Cup this season. And McCarty likes what he's seen from his teammates so far in training camp.

''Everybody is just trying to get a good feel,'' he said. ''We've got guys working hard. You just use the first week to get the feel back and our feet under you when the games start to get a little faster.''