Red Wings To Recall Zach Aston-Reese
The Red Wings are expected to recall forward Zach Aston-Reese from AHL Grand Rapids ahead of Saturday’s matinee game against the Panthers. Per Sean Shapiro of EP Rinkside, Aston-Reese departed midway through Grand Rapids’ morning skate today and is returning to Detroit to join the team.
An illness making its way through the Detroit room kept forwards Austin Czarnik and Patrick Kane out of last night’s game against the Hurricanes. It didn’t end well for Detroit, who was forced to dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen in their absence and lost 4-0 to Carolina, dropping their playoff chances to 15.6%, per MoneyPuck.
Recalling Aston-Reese allows the Wings to return to a typical 12-6 alignment against Florida tomorrow as they enter must-win territory for every game down the stretch. They’re two points back of the Capitals for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference but have one less game remaining.
Aston-Reese, 29, has only logged one NHL game this season, playing 6:21 against the Stars in a loss on Dec. 11 while recording two hits. Once a highly regarded shutdown fourth-liner with the Penguins, ZAR is on his third team since Pittsburgh traded him to the Ducks at the 2022 trade deadline as part of the package for top-six scoring winger Rickard Rakell.
He’s had to settle for attending training camp on PTOs in two straight seasons. Last year’s with Toronto was successful, parlaying it into a one-year deal that saw him score 10 goals in 77 games, but a drop-off in his possession impacts and decreased usage (his 10:56 ATOI was a career low) lowered his value when he reached free agency again last summer. The Hurricanes decided to give him a chance on a tryout but ended up cutting him loose. He then signed a one-year, two-way deal ($775K/$300K/$350K) with the Wings just before the campaign began and promptly cleared waivers.
In his first extended AHL action since the 2017-18 season, Aston-Reese has been decent in a middle-six checking role, posting 13 goals and 28 points in 56 games. However, it hasn’t been enough for Detroit to give him an extended look back in the majors, especially as they’ve remained relatively healthy up front this season.
Aston-Reese has been recalled three times this season, all lasting less than a week. This is his first summons to the NHL roster since being assigned to Grand Rapids on Jan. 7.
Patrick Kane And Austin Czarnik Out Sick Tonight
Michael Russo of The Athletic is reporting that Minnesota Wild forward Marcus Foligno is dealing with a nagging lower-body injury and won’t dress tonight when the Wild take on the San Jose Sharks. Foligno missed Tuesday’s practice with the injury and has missed several games throughout this season with what was also described as lower-body injuries.
Despite the lingering issue, the 32-year-old has dressed in 55 games this season with Minnesota, posting 10 goals and 12 assists while playing 14:29 a game. It’s been a tough season filled with starts and stops for the Buffalo, New York native, which has led to speculation from Russo that perhaps the Wild will shut Foligno down for the rest of the season to allow him a chance to heal.
In other evening notes:
- The Detroit Red Wings will be without the services of forward Patrick Kane this evening as they take on the Carolina Hurricanes. The Red Wings have been dealing with an illness travelling around their dressing room and it appears that Kane is the latest victim of it. Kane’s absence could loom large as the Red Wings sit two points back of Washington for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and Kane has been hot as of late with nine points in his last eight games.
- The Red Wings will also be without center Austin Czarnik who is also dealing with an illness. No word on whether Czarnik and Kane are dealing with the same ailment or not but given the issues with sickness this week its likely a safe bet. The 31-year-old was recalled from the AHL two weeks ago and has struggled at the NHL level this season with just a single assist in 25 games. With Kane and Czarnik out of the lineup, Daniel Sprong will draw back in after sitting the last three games as a healthy scratch.
Red Wings Sign Emmitt Finnie To Entry-Level Contract
The Detroit Red Wings have signed forward prospect Emmitt Finnie to his entry-level deal (Twitter link). Finnie just concluded his third season with the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers and will join the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins on an amateur try-out for the remainder of the season.
Finnie has earned his entry-level deal just one year after being selected in the seventh round – turning pro after recording 19 goals, 40 assists, and 59 points in 62 WHL games this season; career-highs in all three stats and Finnie’s first point-per-game juniors season. He recorded just 35 points in 64 games last season, but his off-puck impact was too notable for Detroit to ignore at the draft. Finnie makes a play every single shift, showing a keen understanding of where to place himself to force puck battles or intercept passes He may not be the fastest or the flashiest, but he’s a physical forward who doesn’t shy away from a challenge. That mantra has earned Finnie big minutes with Kamloops this season, averaging 22:47 across 75 games – including the preseason. His role amped up in the final stretch, too, with Finnie recording over 27 minutes of ice time in two of his last three games.
Detroit has now awarded Finnie’s efforts, making him the first player from the 2023 seventh round to sign his entry-level deal. He’s bound to face an uphill battle with the AHL’s quicker pace and heavier hitting, though he’ll join a Griffins lineup that’s managed 31 wins in 60 games and ranks 11th in the league in points – giving him the security of joining in a winning lineup.
Red Wings Notes: Petry, Walman, Husso
Helene St. James of The Detroit Free Press is reporting that Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jeff Petry could miss tomorrow night’s game against the Washington Capitals as he is dealing with an illness. Petry didn’t participate in practice today and could be a game-time decision against the Capitals. The 36-year-old is in his first season with the Red Wings after being traded twice last year and has posted two goals and 17 assists in 62 games while averaging just a shade under 19 minutes of ice time per game.
Petry has struggled as of late, registering just a single assist in his last 11 games while going -11. His underlying numbers are some of the worst he’s had in his 14-year NHL career, which isn’t all that surprising for a 36-year-old defenseman who has seen a decline in his game for the past few seasons.
In other Red Wings notes:
- Helene St. James also tweeted that Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde wasn’t sure about defenseman Jake Walman’s availability for tomorrow night’s game against Washington. Walman joined practice today for the first time since being injured on March 17th in a 6-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Lalonde said the team would wait to see how Walman responds to the practice before deciding his availability for tomorrow night’s game but didn’t feel it was likely that he would play. The 28-year-old has averaged almost 20 minutes a game this season on Detroit’s backend, dressing in 61 games and registering 12 goals and nine assists.
- Ansar Khan of MLive is reporting that Red Wings netminder Ville Husso has had a few setbacks and likely isn’t ready to get back into game action yet as he attempts to return to the lineup from injury. Lalonde added that when Husso is comfortable enough to play it will likely be in a conditioning assignment with their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids. Husso has played just 8:48 since suffering a lower-body injury back on December 18th. He returned on February 13th but once again suffered an injury and was forced to leave the game after playing less than half a period and facing just eight shots.
Red Wings Reassign Jonathan Berggren
The Red Wings have assigned winger Jonatan Berggren to AHL Grand Rapids, per a team release.
Berggren, 23, had been a healthy scratch in five straight games. The 2018 second-round pick was one game away from losing his waiver-exempt status, which lapses next season regardless of if he plays another NHL game in 2023-24.
The Swede has been relegated to Grand Rapids for most of the season, an unexpected development after a breakout 2022-23 campaign. He made his first 67 career appearances last season, notching 15 goals and 13 assists to finish ninth on the team in scoring with 28 points. He did so in bottom-six minutes, averaging 13:28 per game, and managed decent possession numbers. His 47.3 CF% at even strength was ninth among Red Wings skaters and 1.2 percentage points above the team average.
However, his 2023-24 season began on a sour note as he was left off the opening right roster. He was recalled multiple times throughout the season on emergency loans but never remained up with the team on a full-time basis until after the trade deadline, last recalled on March 9. He only played in the Wings’ first three post-deadline games, though, seeing his ice time slip to 9:13 in his most recent appearance, a March 14 game against the Coyotes. That hasn’t stopped him from being productive in limited action, recording 2-4–6 in 12 NHL games on the season despite averaging only 10:52 per game.
He’s been similarly strong in the minors, where he’s rattled off over a point per game (19-27–46) through 43 appearances and leads Grand Rapids in scoring by a wide margin. Regardless, the pending RFA has remained on the outside of a Red Wings bottom six that head coach Derek Lalonde is opting to staff with lower-ceiling veteran presences like Austin Czarnik (one assist in 24 games), despite the team going 3-7-0 in their last 10 games and quickly losing ground in a tight playoff race in the Eastern Conference.
Berggren is nearing completion of his three-year entry-level contract, which carries a cap hit of $925K. He will have arbitration eligibility this summer.
Dylan Larkin A Full Participant In Practice
In a positive report for the Detroit Red Wings organization, captain Dylan Larkin was back at practice this morning as a full participant (X Link). It is undetermined whether or not Larkin will be available in the team’s important game tomorrow night against the New York Islanders.
With only 13 games remaining in the regular season for Detroit, they will be hoping that Larkin’s return to the lineup will bring an added boost to the rest of the roster. Amid a battle for the last wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, the Red Wings are looking to break a seven-year playoff drought by the end of the season.
Detroit Red Wings Sign Carter Gylander
In a public announcement coming from the organization, the Detroit Red Wings have signed college goaltender, Carter Gylander to a two-year entry-level contract, beginning in the 2024-25 NHL season. The team also stated that Gylander would be joining the organization’s AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, for the remainder of the season on an amateur tryout agreement.
Originally drafted by the Red Wings with the 201st overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft, Gylander has spent the last four seasons playing for Colgate University of the ECAC Hockey Division. With his numbers dipping down a bit from last season, Gylander finished his NCAA career with a 14-14-4 season, coupled with a .901 save percentage and 2.93 goals against average over 32 games.
Gylander posted his best numbers during his junior season at Colgate, finishing with a 19-15-5 record in 39 games, posting a .914 SV% and a 2.46 GAA in the process. During the ECAC Hockey Tournament at the end of last season, Gylander led his team to a championship win over Harvard University, winning the tournament’s Most Oustanding Player award as well.
Unfortunately, Colgate’s run of success would end there, as the University of Michigan would eliminate them in a blowout game during the first round of the Frozen Four tournament. This season, Gylander and Colgate would make it to the second round of the ECAC Hockey tournament, but would be ousted by St. Lawrence University, officially ending Gylander’s collegiate career.
In Detroit, Gylander will join a growing list of young goaltending prospects that the team will be looking to graduate to the NHL at some point. With Sebastian Cossa still earning his stripes at the AHL level, the Red Wings still hold the signing rights to Trey Augustine, who is in the midst of a standout season with the Michigan State University Spartans.
Red Wings Recall Simon Edvinsson On Emergency Loan
11:00 AM: Wings head coach Derek Lalonde has shared that defenseman Jake Walman (lower-body) will be unavailable on Tuesday, while Michael Rasmussen (illness) will be a game-time decision. Walman’s absence opens a top-four role for Simon Edvinsson, who is expected to slot into the lineup.
10:30 AM: The Detroit Red Wings have recalled top defense prospect Simon Edvinsson from the minor leagues. He will serve as a fill-in for the injured Justin Holl, who is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury. Holl’s injury qualifies Edvinsson’s recall as falling under emergency conditions, preserving Detroit’s limited number of remaining recalls.
It’s just the sixth call-up of Edvinsson’s career, with the 21-year-old defender playing in 11 games between this season and last. He’s scored two goals and three points in those appearances, adding 14 penalty minutes and a -7.
Edvinsson has continued to perform at a high level since being drafted sixth overall in the 2021 NHL Draft. He currently leads the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins defensemen in scoring, with eight goals and 29 points in 52 games. He’s also managed 51 penalty minutes and a +5. Each of those stats represents improvements over what he posted in 52 games last season – his first year in North American pros – when he managed five goals, 27 points, 52 penalty minutes, and a -3. Edvinsson is one of two 2021 top-10 picks to not yet play out their NHL rookie season, joining Ottawa Senators prospect Tyler Boucher, who has yet to make his NHL debut.
While Edvinsson is joining the Red Wings lineup, there’s not a direct path to ice time just yet. Holl was serving as the seventh defenseman behind what’s been an incredibly consistent Detroit blue line, with all six members playing in at least 59 of Detroit’s 68 games this season. While that lineup is likely to continue forward, Edvinsson could represent an exciting spark plug for a Wings team that’s gone 1-8-0 over their last nine games, getting outscored 19-to-43 – though Edvinsson has just three points in his last seven games. The highly-acclaimed blue-liner will look to breathe life into the Detroit offense if, and hopefully when, he receives a crack at the lineup.
Why Red Wings Were Quiet At The Trade Deadline
The Red Wings were quiet at the trade deadline which came as a surprise to many with Detroit being in a playoff spot at the time. Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek reports that there were a couple of reasons for that. GM Steve Yzerman felt that the asking prices were way too high for his liking while he was reluctant to part with any of his prospects. Even if Detroit is able to lock down the final Wild Card spot and end their seven-year playoff drought, they’re still in the process of building up their roster. It appears that Yzerman had no interest in taking any shortcuts when it comes to their long-term plan.
Red Wings And Capitals Have Decisions Looming On Key Youngsters
Generally speaking, most of the notable contractual elements that could come into play for key prospects occur at the beginning of the season. However, that isn’t the case for the Red Wings and Capitals who are facing decisions on a pair of promising wingers. For Detroit, Jonatan Berggren is one game away from becoming waiver-eligible while for Washington, Ivan Miroshnichenko is one game away from officially activating the first year of his entry-level contract.
Berggren was a regular for Detroit last season and fared pretty well, picking up 15 goals and 13 assists in 37 games while playing in their middle six. However, GM Steve Yzerman opted to make several additions up front over the summer, pushing the 23-year-old to the outside looking in at a regular spot in the lineup.
Instead of keeping him as a spare forward, the Red Wings decided to send Berggren to AHL Grand Rapids and kept him there for most of the season. Through 43 games with the Griffins, he has done quite well, scoring 19 goals while adding 47 assists. That has earned Berggren a brief stint with the big club where he has been productive in limited action, notching two goals and four helpers in a dozen games despite averaging less than 11 minutes a night.
Berggren was papered to Grand Rapids at the trade deadline and subsequently recalled, permitting him to return to the Griffins. The only way they can do that is by not playing him in another game with Detroit. Grand Rapids is well-positioned to make the playoffs this season so there’s a case to make that his development would be best served by a long postseason run with them over being on the fringes of the NHL lineup while the Red Wings are trying to hold onto the last Wild Card spot in the East.
Detroit elected to punt on the decision for today as they scratched Berggren against Buffalo but they will have to make a call on either playing him and keeping him up for the rest of the season or sending him down for the rest of the year.
As for Miroshnichenko, he has played in nine games for the Capitals so far this season and as a junior-aged player, the ten-game mark is critical as he would officially burn the first year of his contract. If he doesn’t, the year would slide and he would still have three seasons left on that deal – at a slightly lower cap hit – heading into 2024-25.
The 20-year-old is in his first season in North America after spending his post-draft campaign split between Russia’s junior league and two professional leagues after recovering from cancer. The bulk of that campaign was spent in the KHL with Avangard Omsk who agreed to terminate his deal after the season ended, allowing him to join Washington’s system.
Miroshnichenko has spent the majority of this season with AHL Hershey and has done relatively well, collecting nine goals and 16 assists through 47 games so far. That has earned him a handful of recalls, the most recent of which came nearly three weeks ago. Miroshnichenko has been a regular the last couple of weeks, getting him to that nine-game mark where he has two goals while averaging nearly 12 minutes a night.
Washington will soon need to decide if their playoff push (they sit one point out of the last Wild Card spot heading into today) is best aided with Miroshnichenko in the lineup or if they should be taking the longer view and sending him back down to get the extra cheap year on his contract. Either way, unlike Berggren, Miroshnichenko will be able to return to Hershey whether it’s in the coming days or at the end of their season as he’ll remain waiver-exempt either way. Set to play Vancouver later today, Washington will have to make the decision soon unless they want to push the decision back a couple of days by making him a healthy scratch.
It’s not often that decisions like this come up this late in a season but for Detroit and Washington, they’ll have to make a call on their youngsters in the near future.