Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff filed an article discussing 5 takeaways from Wednesday night’s 4-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, and Duff noted the following regarding the Red Wings’ currently bloated roster of NHL, AHL and ECHL players:
While most NHL teams have been cutting and reassigning players to the minor leagues throughout training camp, the Wings have kept almost all their players together in Detroit. Wednesday, they reassigned defenseman Alex Cotton to the WHL Lethbridge Hurricanes and released forward T-Bone Codd and defenseman Mason Ward from amateur tryouts.
Still, they’ve made no moves with any of their pro players, meaning a massive cut will be coming in the next few days. Blashill’s indication was that considering the team’s NHL preseason slate was compact, he thought it best to keep the roster numbers up for as long as possible.
“The schedule is really condensed for us, and we need to keep more bodies longer, to both get looks from an exhibition game standpoint and make sure we have the bodies,”Blashill said. “We’ll see after the next couple of games where everything stands and ultimately, we’ll release guys when the time is appropriate for us. We’re not going to worry about what other people do. It’s whatever is appropriate for us.”
