Detroit is down an All-Star, but at least they’re welcoming back a veteran contributor. The Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James reports that the Red Wings have placed Frans Nielsen on the injured reserve with a shoulder injury and have filled his roster spot by activating Steve Ott. She adds that the IR placement is retroactive to Saturday, meaning Nielsen is eligible to return after missing the Red Wings’ next two games, versus the Columbus Blue Jackets tomorrow night and visiting the Washington Capitals on Thursday night. Nielsen missed his first game of the season on Saturday, but Detroit was able to squeak out a 1-0 win over the Nashville Predators.
Despite being named to his first career All-Star Game, Nielsen is still searching for his identity in Detroit. One of the top free agents on the market this summer, the Red Wings scooped up the veteran center on July 1st with a six-year, $31.5MM contract. Thus far, he has only rewarded them with 10 goals and 16 assists through 51 games, which puts him on pace for about 40 points this season, assuming he only misses the next two games. Nielsen is at risk of having his worst full pro season in 2016-17. Nielsen scored 33 points as a rookie with the New York Islanders in 2008-09, but did so in just 59 games. The next season he scored 38 points in 76 games, a mark that he at least hopes to beat this year. In the first season of a deal that costs Detroit $5.25MM against the cap, the Red Wings were certainly hoping for more from the Danish pivot. However, the Red Wings can little afford to have any play-makers out of the lineup, and despite his struggles, Nielsen is still tied for the fourth-most points on the team. Hopefully he misses just the next two games and returns re-focused for a Detroit team that currently sits five points out of a playoff spot and in jeopardy of snapping their record 25-year postseason streak.
The return of Ott may help the cause as well. The 34-year-old grinder joined Nielsen as a free agent addition to this Red Wings team as a tough, seasoned veteran at an affordable rate. While Ott hasn’t been much of a scorer for the last five years or so, he still brings a gritty, hard-nosed game and veteran hockey sense that Detroit can use in their young forward corps. However, Ott has been out since January 12th with a shoulder injury and has played in just 37 games this season. He returns at an opportune time, with Nielsen out of the lineup. If Ott can return to form and help to fill the void up front with consistent two-way contribution, he may prove yet to be a smart signing by the Wings. Even if they struggle to make up ground in the standings, strong play by Ott could make him a valuable trade commodity for a contender by March 1st.