Red Wings Re-Sign Luke Glendening

The Detroit Red Wings announced via Twitter and their website that they’ve re-signed forward Luke Glendening to a four year contract. GeneralFanager reports on Twitter that the deal is worth $1.8MM a year. Glendening had one year left on his contract, so this contract starts in 2017-18, and will expire in July of 2021.

Glendening, who is 27 years old, was undrafted, but began his NHL career with the Red Wings, played at the University of Michigan and was raised in Grand Rapids. He scored eight goals, and added 13 assists last year, having played 81 games for the Red Wings. In his NHL career, he has scored 21 goals, and 25 assists in 219 games.

Glendening, a right-hand shot, and natural center, adds to a growing list of forwards for the Red Wings. They now have 18 under contract. The large number will be easily pared down, as Johan Franzen will likely spend the season on long-term injured reserve, and Joe Vitale, acquired in the Pavel Datsyuk trade, might join him.

After that, the Red Wings have many forwards who can be sent to the Grand Rapids Griffins without much panic, including Glendening, Teemu Pulkkinen, Andreas Athanasiou, Anthony Mantha, and Tomas Jurco.  Mantha and Athanasiou would not require waivers before being demoted, and both played part-time in the NHL last year.