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Evening Notes: Mrazek, Soderblom, Holloway, Stastney

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The Detroit Red Wings received split injury updates early on Thursday. Head coach Todd McLellan shared that goaltender Petr Mrazek will continue to sit out with a head injury, but that winger Elmer Soderblom could return from his undisclosed injury on Friday, per Max Bultman of The Athletic. Both players have missed Detroit’s last four games.

The Red Wings have maintained a duo of Cam Talbot and Alex Lyon while Mrazek’s been absent – the same tandem they ran before acquiring Mrazek at the Trade Deadline. Talbot has returned to the starting role after briefly missing time in March – and quickly found a hot streak. He’s posted a .922 save percentage and 2.48 goals-against average in four games since returning – though the low numbers have only led to a 1-2-1 record. His performances have lifted up Alex Lyon’s struggles as of late, with a 1-4-0 record and .843 save percentage in his last five games. Detroit will hope that pair continues to balance each other out as they continue to chase the Eastern Conference Wild Card.

Meanwhile, Soderblom will return looking to find his spark again after netting two goals in his last three games before injury. The pair doubled Soderblom’s year-long totals up to that point, pushing him to four goals and 10 points in 23 games this season. The six-foot-eight winger is playing through his rookie season in the NHL, though he did appear in 21 games and score eight points last season. He’ll step back into a role in Detroit’s bottom-six when he’s good to go.

Other notes from around the league:

  • St. Louis Blues winger Dylan Holloway exited their Thursday night game against the Pittsburgh Penguins before the second period with a lower-body injury. He appeared to sustain the injury on a check from Penguins rookie Rutger McGroarty early in the first period. Holloway has been a major proponent of St. Louis’ 10-game winning streak. He’s scored 15 points across the streak, and was riding an 11-game scoring streak of his own before the early exit. That scoring brought Holloway up to 26 goals and 63 points in 77 games this season. Any missed games as a result of this injury would be his first as a Blue.
  • Across the Central Division, the Nashville Predators were without defenseman Spencer Stastney for Thursday’s game against the Dallas Stars due to an upper-body injury. He was slated to serve as the team’s seventh dressed defenseman in the matchup, but in his absence, the Predators decided to instead promote rookie forward Ozzy Wiesblatt to the rotation. Stastney has tallied three points, all assists, in 22 games this season and filled a minimal role in Nashville’s lineup as of late.

Mark LaForest Passes Away At Age 62

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In a heartfelt announcement, the Toronto Maple Leafs reported that former goaltender Mark LaForest, known as “Trees,” had passed away at the age of 62. 

The Welland, Ontario native began his major junior career with the OHL’s Niagara Falls Flyers for the 1981-82 season and stayed with the team through their relocation a year later, becoming the North Bay Centennials. Unfortunately, LaForest went undrafted in the NHL after a two-year stint in the OHL. Still, he managed to land a multi-year agreement from the Detroit Red Wings as a free agent.

His first two years in the Red Wings organization were spent in the minor leagues. LaForest appeared in 18 games for Detroit’s AHL affiliate at the time, the Adirondack Red Wings, and their then-IHL affiliate, the Kalamazoo Wings. It wasn’t until the 1985-86 season that LaForest got his start in the NHL with Detroit, posting a 4-21-0 record in 28 games with a 4.96 GAA and .845 SV%. With the arrival of Glen Hanlon the following season, LaForest was limited to five NHL contests for the 1986-87 campaign.

Without a path forward in Detroit, the Red Wings traded LaForest to the Philadelphia Flyers for a second-round pick at the 1987 NHL Draft. He earned the most playing time of his career with the Flyers, managing a 10-16-4 record from 1987 to 1989 with a 3.91 GAA and .873 SV%. Philadelphia traded LaForest across Lake Ontario from his hometown, joining the Maple Leafs for the 1989-90 season.

He began the campaign with Toronto’s AHL affiliate, the Newmarket Saints, contributing a .905 SV% in 10 games. Fortunately, the Maple Leafs recalled LaForest relatively quickly that season for a three-goalie tandem, and he finished the campaign with a 9-14-0 record, 3.89 GAA, and .886 SV%. LaForest spent several years in the New York Rangers’ organization before being selected by the Ottawa Senators in the 1992 NHL Expansion Draft.

Unfortunately, LaForest wouldn’t return to the NHL until the 1993-94 campaign after spending a year with Ottawa’s AHL affiliate, the New Haven Senators. He was featured in five games for the Senators that season, with his last start coming on March 15, 1994. The last goal scored against him was from Jari Kurri, assisted by Wayne Gretzky and Tony Granato.

LaForest spent another few seasons in the IHL and AHL before finally hanging up his skates after the 1996-97 campaign. He remained active in his community and appeared at several Flyers and Maple Leafs alumni events.

PHR sends our condolences to LaForest’s family, friends, and former teammates.

Red Wings’ Trey Augustine Remaining With Michigan State For 2025-26

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The Red Wings will need to wait to see goaltending prospect Trey Augustine suit up for them in the professional ranks. The 2023 second-round pick informed the team he intends to return to Michigan State for his junior season of college play, per Mike McMahon of College Hockey News.

Augustine, 20, would be many teams’ top goalie in their system. He’s not in Detroit, which also has 2021 first-rounder Sebastian Cossa on the way. The latter is the No. 5 prospect in the Wings’ pool, while Augustine ranks sixth, per Scott Wheeler of The Athletic. The Wings aren’t at risk of losing his signing rights until August 2027, so today’s news should be viewed more as Augustine’s desired development path rather than kicking the can down the road to free agency.

The 6’1″, 194-lb netminder has become a household name in the junior hockey world. He’s backstopped the United States in the last three World Junior Championships, winning a bronze and a pair of golds along the way. In their 2024 win, he led the tournament in GAA (1.75) and SV% (.936).

Mixed with a sparkling collegiate resume, it’s easy to see why optimism abounds about Augustine’s chances of being an NHL starter in a few years. As a freshman with the Spartans in 2023-24, he logged a 2.96 GAA, .915 SV%, three shutouts, and a 23-9-2 record in 35 games en route to winning both the Big Ten regular-season title and tournament championship while being named MVP of the latter. He also took home conference All-Rookie and Second All-Star Team honors.

Here in 2024-25, Augustine’s put up a repeat performance with even better stats. He led Michigan State back to a tournament championship and tied for the regular-season crown, putting up an improved 2.08 GAA and .924 SV% along the way. He made 30 appearances with a 19-7-4 record, although his Spartans were upset by Cornell in the regional semifinals of the national tournament.

Augustine remaining in school isn’t a huge concern for the Red Wings’ plans between the pipes in 2025-26. They have Petr Mrázek and Cam Talbot signed through next season to form their NHL tandem, with Cossa waiting in the wings as a high-end No. 3 option in case one of the veterans falters. 23-year-old Carter Gylander is their fourth goalie already signed for 2025-26. He’s having a good rookie season in the ECHL with Toledo and could be in line to serve as Cossa’s full-time backup in AHL Grand Rapids next season. They’ll likely be on the hunt for a cheap veteran name on the free agent market to stash in the minors, but there isn’t a gaping hole in the depth chart that Augustine would fill if he signed now.

Petr Mrázek, Elmer Söderblom Remain Out For Red Wings

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Despite a 3-7-0 record in their last 10 contests, the Detroit Red Wings are sticking around the Eastern Conference wild-card race. They’ll have a good opportunity to pull within one point of the final spot against the Boston Bruins tonight but will have to do so without goaltender Petr Mrázek and forward Elmer Söderblom.

According to MLive’s Ansar Khan, neither player will be in the lineup tonight, although the latter could return as early as Tuesday against the St. Louis Blues. Söderblom, who’s been solid for Detroit, scoring four goals and 10 points in 23 games since being recalled in late January, has missed the Red Wings’ last three games (including tonight) and four out of the past five.

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Red Wings To Reassign Sebastian Cossa, Cam Talbot Back

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  • Detroit Red Wings goaltender Cam Talbot will be healthy enough to serve as backup in Thursday night’s game, per Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. St. James adds that Talbot’s return will require Detroit to reassign top goalie prospect Sebastian Cossa, who was recalled with Detroit facing injuries to Talbot and Petr Mrazek. Mrazek remains out. Talbot will ease back into the lineup looking to build on his .898 save percentage through 38 games this season. Meanwhile, Cossa will return to the minor leagues looking to maintain his .913 save percentage through 35 AHL games. Cossa has held steady at a .913 Sv% in each of the last three seasons. The Red Wings’ starter’s crease will continue to be manned by Alex Lyon, who’s saved 39 of 44 shots against over his last two starts. Those marks have brought Lyon to a .899 Sv% in 27 games this season – second-highest on the Wings behind Mrazek’s .902 in five games played.

Red Wings Recall Sebastian Cossa, Petr Mrazek And Cam Talbot Out

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The Detroit Red Wings have recalled top goalie prospect Sebastian Cossa under emergency conditions. Detroit is currently dealing with a mix of unavailability and injury in their goaltending room. Petr Mrazek sustained an undisclosed injury just two minutes into the team’s Monday win over Utah, after catching the stick of Dylan Guenther in a netfront collision. Backup Alex Lyon took over for Mrazek and led Detroit to a 5-1 victory. Lyon will have to man the starter’s net for a second night in a row on Tuesday, with Cam Talbot also out of the lineup for undisclosed reasons, per Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. Talbot has only played four games in the month of March, and just one in the last week.

With Mrazek and Talbot on the shelf, Cossa will receive his first NHL call-up since December. He made his NHL debut in relief of Talbot on his last recall, and managed to lead Detroit to a shootout victory in 45 minutes of ice time. Cossa was returned to the minors in the days after, where he’s been up to his usual antics. He has a 19-11-5 record and .913 save percentage through 35 games on the year and is in firm control of the Grand Rapids Grffins’ starting role. This now marks the fourth consecutive season that Cossa has posted a .913 save percentage. Dating back to his 2021-22 season, Cossa has managed the exact same mark through 46 WHL games, 46 ECHL games, 40 AHL games last year, and now 35 games this year. The performances have been shockingly unwavering through the start of his pro career.

Detroit will be able to hold onto Cossa for 30 days or 10 games before his emergency recall expires. With a full house in the goaltending room, it’s hard to picture Detroit hanging onto their minor-league starter for too long – especially as the Griffins pursue a playoff chase of their own. Mrazek has managed a team-leading .902 save percentage in five games since joining Detroit at the Trade Deadline. Lyon is closely challenging that title, though – with a .944 on Monday bringing his year-long save percentage up to a .901. While Cossa seems like a surefire bet to post a .913 wherever he goes, Detroit might find more comfort in sticking with their vets through the end of the year. The Red Wings are currently three points behind an Eastern Conference Wild Card, down a game.

Red Wings Activate Jeff Petry, Assign Prospect Emmitt Finnie To AHL

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After missing the previous 31 games with an undisclosed injury, Detroit Red Wings’ defenseman Jeff Petry has been removed from injured reserve and is in the lineup tonight against the Utah Hockey Club, per a team release. Petry, who last played Jan. 2 against the Columbus Blue Jackets, had recently returned to practice. He is skating with Simon Edvinsson on the team’s second defensive pairing. In his first full season in Detroit, Edvinsson has impressed with 26 points, 126 blocked shots, and a plus-4 rating in 65 games.

Although Petry has had just six points in 34 games to begin the year and a minus-seven rating, he has displayed offensive upside throughout his career. The 37-year-old veteran of nearly 1,000 career games has registered 383 points in the NHL and has added an additional 13 points in 48 career playoff tilts. Petry is in the final year of his contract and will be a free agent at season’s end. He had a $6.25MM cap hit this season.

While head coach Todd McLellan noted today that Petry can provide solid puck-moving abilities and a veteran presence for the team, he added the difficulty Petry will face in returning after such a lengthy absence. The Red Wings find themselves five points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the second wild card spot in the east.

The team also announced today that they reassigned forward Emmitt Finnie to the AHL from the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers. He has captained the Blazers this season while recording 37 goals and 84 points through 55 games. The team’s seventh round selection in 2023 draft is shooting up Detroit’s prospect rankings thanks to his lofty numbers on the season. Finnie, 19, appeared in three AHL contests last season with the Grand Rapids Griffins, but didn’t record a point.

Red Wings Sign Eduards Tralmaks To Two-Way Deal

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The Red Wings announced today they’ve signed forward Eduards Tralmaks to a two-way deal for the 2025-26 campaign. His deal includes a $775K NHL salary and a $225K minors salary, PuckPedia reports.

This won’t be Tralmaks’ first stint in North America, although it is the 28-year-old’s first NHL contract. The 6’4″, 209-lb forward, who can play both wings and center, spent a pair of seasons in the Bruins’ system with AHL Providence coming out of college in 2021-22 and 2022-23.

Tralmaks, a former University of Maine standout, posted 22-19–41 with a +23 rating and 42 PIMs in 87 appearances for the P-Bruins from 2021 to 2023. After failing to land an NHL deal with the Bruins or any other club, the Latvian headed overseas. He signed with Jaromír Jágr’s club, Czech Extraliga side Rytíři Kladno, where he’s been dominant. After leading the league in power-play goals in 2023-24, he led the Extraliga in points with 23-28–51 in 48 games. He also finished atop the league leaderboard in faceoff percentage with a 62.5% win rate.

He doesn’t have much of any growth left in his game in his late 20s, and he’s unlikely to make an impact in Detroit’s lineup next season. Nonetheless, he should be an important piece for their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids. If he impresses, he now has the option to be called up, unlike in years past.

Tralmaks will become an unrestricted free agent next summer. The Wings now have 30 standard contracts on the books for next season.

Red Wings’ Erik Gustafsson Out Long-Term, Elmer Söderblom Day-To-Day

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The Detroit Red Wings continue to receive bad news from their blue-line. Head coach Todd McLellan shared that veteran defender Erik Gustafsson will be out long-term with an undisclosed injury. McLellan didn’t provide a specific timeline for Gustafsson’s absence, though he’s been significantly downgraded after only being designated as out day-to-day on Thursday. Rookie forward Elmer Söderblom will also be out of the lineup with an undisclosed injury, and remains day-to-day.

Gustafsson appeared to suffer his injury in the third period of Detroit’s Tuesday loss to the Washington Capitals after a collision with Capitals forward Lars Eller sent him crashing into the boards. No specifics of Gustafsson’s injury have been revealed, though his awkward fall into the boards could suggest knee or ankle related issues.

In response to these injuries, Detroit has recalled forwards Austin Watson and Brogan Rafferty under emergency conditions.

Now, it seems Gustafsson’s scary crash will indeed result in a long-term absence. He’s been leaned on heavily down the stretch, and even played upwards of 20 minutes a night in Detroit’s second-half. Gustafsson ranks third on the Detroit blue-line in scoring with 18 points in 60 games. He’s also posted a team-worst minus-19. Both statlines are a downtick from Gustafsson’s 31 points and plus-three in 76 games with the New York Rangers last season; which was itself a step down from 42 points and a plus-nine in the 2022-23 season.

Detroit will need to fill vacancies on the second pair and second powerplay unit with Gustafsson out. That latter hole has opened the door for rookie Simon Edvinsson to finally earn consistent powerplay ice time. Edvinsson has 25 points in 64 games this season. He also ranks third on the blue-line in blocks (118) and hits (66) behind Moritz Seider and Ben Chiarot. Edvinsson is known for his puck control and passing ability – and racking up impacts away from the puck has helped earn him a chance at special teams minutes.

Who fills Gustafsson’s even-strength role is less clear. Rookie Albert Johansson seems like the best candidate to step into a bigger role, after playing over 21 minutes of action in each of his last two games. Johansson has eight points and a minus-seven in 47 games this year. He’s also tallied 76 blocked shots and 49 hits – stats that rank first and third on the Red Wings’ blue-line on a per-game basis. If not Johansson, Detroit is likely to award bigger minutes to Chiarot and William Lagesson. Chiarot has 11 points in 67 games, while Lagesson hasn’t yet scored through two appearances.

While the Red Wings rush to fill Gustafsson’s openings, rookie Söderblom will focus on not losing his momentum. He has nine points in 22 games this season – one more point in one more game than he totaled in his first taste of the NHL in 2022-23. He’s been a sizeable addition to the Red Wings lineup, both in height and impact – giving the Wings a hint of the success that the New York Rangers have found in players like Adam Edstrom. Söderblom still has a path to pave before he’s an everyday piece of the lineup, but a strong return from injury could do the work for him.

The Red Wings bear with these injuries while sitting on the fringe of a hotly-contested playoff race. Five different teams have between 70 and 74 points in the Eastern Conference. Detroit sits on the low-end, while the Montreal Canadiens have hold of the second Wild Card spot on the other end. Properly filling Gustafsson’s void, and seeing the return of an impactful bottom-six piece like Söderblom, could heavily sway Detroit’s playoffs hopes as they approach their final 14 games of the season.

Red Wings Recall Austin Watson And Brogan Rafferty

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The Detroit Red Wings have announced that they’ve recalled forward Austin Watson and defenseman Brogan Rafferty from the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins under emergency conditions.

The 33-year-old Watson has seen limited NHL action this season, dressing in just two games after signing a one-year, two-way deal with the Red Wings back in early October. Watson started out the season on a professional tryout with Detroit but showed enough in training camp and four preseason games to get an NHL deal. The Ann Arbor, Michigan native has spent the bulk of this season in the AHL with the Griffins, tallying 16 goals and 21 assists in 56 games, which is good for second on the team in scoring. Watson has also provided his usual physical presence, notching 94 PIM on the year.

Watson’s play this season has already landed him another one-year, two-way deal for next season, as the Red Wings felt good enough about his efforts to extend him another year.

Rafferty has an opportunity to see his first NHL action since he dressed for the Vancouver Canucks in January 2021. He has played three NHL games in his career, posting a single assist and three blocked shots. The 29-year-old has dressed in 50 games this season for Grand Rapids and has registered six goals and 13 assists along with 17 PIM. In five AHL seasons, the West Dundee, Illinois native has played in 306 games, totalling 30 goals and 138 assists.

Detroit current sits four points behind Montreal for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference and will be back in action tomorrow night against the Vegas Golden Knights.

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