The Red Wings announced Tuesday night that they’ve assigned right winger John Leonard to AHL Grand Rapids. They’re left with an open roster spot.
Leonard’s demotion has little to do with his performance and more to do with roster management. The 27-year-old was recalled on Dec. 14 in the wake of an injury to Patrick Kane. In his first NHL action since March 2024 with the Coyotes, Leonard jumped into Kane’s spot on the second line alongside Andrew Copp and Alex DeBrincat. That line controlled 56.9% of expected goals at 5-on-5 while Leonard scored four points, including two goals, while averaging 12:16 of ice time per game.
However, Leonard’s ice time was slashed after Kane returned to the lineup for Sunday’s win over the Red Wings. He was shifted to fourth-line minutes with youngsters Nate Danielson and Marco Kasper, skating just 7:31.
If Detroit kept Leonard around for much longer, he would need waivers to return to Grand Rapids. He had played seven games and been rostered for 16 days since his recall, meaning he could only play three more games or stay on the roster for 14 days until Detroit would need to risk exposing him to the wire if they attempted to reassign him.
Considering his strong production in his brief NHL look and his electric AHL scoring line this season, the likelihood of him clearing waivers is slim. Grand Rapids, with its 26-1-1 record through 28 games, is on pace for the best regular season in league history. Leonard remains their leading scorer despite spending the last several days on the NHL roster, clicking at nearly a goal per game with a 19-10–29 scoring line in 20 appearances.
At some point, particularly if the Wings decide the struggling Danielson and Kasper could use more development time in the minors, they may recall Leonard and have him stick around for the rest of the season as a valuable top-nine pinch skater. With time on their side, though, they’ll punt that decision until they have to make it.