Robbie Russo Recalled By Detroit Red Wings

Ansar Khan of MLive has some Detroit Red Wings news for us today; the team has recalled Robbie Russo from Grand Rapids after Ryan Sproul went down last night against the Edmonton Oilers. Sproul was already ruled out for Tuesday’s game in Toronto before being re-evaluated today.

Russo would be making his NHL debut should he figure into the lineup against the Maple Leafs, after two very good AHL campaigns. The former Notre Dame standout has 70 points in 127 career AHL games and still likely has more offensive ability in his game. Selected in the fourth round of the 2011 draft, he hasn’t been the most reliable player in his own end but drives possession with quick passes.

For Detroit, taking a look at young Griffins players might be all that’s left for this season. Though they currently sit second last in the Eastern conference, they’ve played two more games than the last place Carolina Hurricanes but only lead them by one point. They seem destined for a top-5 pick in the upcoming draft, unless something drastic happens at the lottery. After selling assets off at the trade deadline, the Red Wings will try to rebuild quickly in order to compete for the playoffs as soon as possible. While Russo likely isn’t a part of that competitive NHL future, he’s at least worth a look down the stretch of a lost season.