Of Red Wings-related note from today’s optional practice at Little Caesars Arena’s BELFOR Training Center:
- Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde told the Wings’ media corps that Christian Fischer (upper-body) and Jeff Petry (upper-body) are both out for Monday’s game against the Rangers, and, as Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff notes, the Wings would waive a player. That turned out to be Ville Husso:
“We probably have to do some moving around,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said of the club’s 23-player roster. “Potentially send someone through waivers to get a body available.”
Husso was the most logical candidate to go on waivers.
Now that we know it’s Husso who is going, the next question is who’s arriving?
Don’t get your hopes up that it will be 2020 first-round draft pick Marco Kasper. Since it’s likely only to be a short-term need, veteran pros such as Austin Watson or Sheldon Dries are probably the more likely fit.
“Being a short term call up, might be a more veteran guy,” Lalonde admitted.
2. Why Husso? Because the Wings gain $1.15 million in cap space by assigning him to Grand Rapids, even temporarily, and as the Red Wings are only carrying 12 forwards, they need to clear some cap space to call up that “more veteran guy,” as the Hockey News’s Sam Stockton noted:
“We probably have to do some moving around, potentially send someone through waivers to potentially get a body available, because I think both [Fischer] and Petry…will not be IR candidates,” added Lalonde, as to the team’s short-term plans. In other words, because neither Fischer nor Petry is expected to miss more than a week, Detroit can’t free up a roster spot by simply moving one or both to injured reserve.
As it stands, the Red Wings have 11 healthy forwards and seven healthy defensemen. Lalonde noted that Detroit could potentially go with an 11-seven lineup tomorrow night, though it appears a roster move is likely coming nonetheless.
Justin Holl is the only Detroit defenseman who could be sent down without clearing waivers (because he did so earlier in the week, thus giving him a 30-day window in which he can pass freely), but without Petry, Lalonde values having Holl as an additional right-shot defenseman in the lineup. Therefore, to get an extra spot to add a 12th forward to the roster, the Red Wings elected to waive goaltender Ville Husso this afternoon.
Husso’s season got off to a disappointing start Thursday night, and, because of his $4.75 million cap hit, he is unlikely to be claimed on waivers. Clearing waivers would allow Detroit to send him to Grand Rapids to call up an extra forward.
Now I would encourage you to not write off Husso or the Red Wings’ concept of utilizing a 3-goaltender system just yet. Justin Holl spent all of a couple of days in Grand Rapids before being called up, and he’s back in the lineup, contributing positively; it’s entirely possible, if not probable, that Husso might do the same.
3. Who might that veteran forward be? MLive’s Ansar Khan considered a few more names, and two of them aren’t veterans…
Possibilities include veteran Austin Watson, signed last week to a one-year deal, or prospects Carter Mazur or Marco Kasper. Kasper, their top pick in 2022, had a terrific camp and preseason, but for a short-term recall, the Red Wings might look to bring up a veteran.
4. While the Free Press’s Helene St. James put the situation bluntly:
Husso landing on waivers isn’t a great look for the 29-year-old former No. 1 netminder, but he didn’t help his case when he allowed four goals on 14 shots in some 25 minutes in Thursday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Free-agent signee Cam Talbot, meanwhile, stymied the Nashville Predators on 42 shots in Saturday’s 3-0 victory.
Husso is also coming off an injury-plagued season which limited him to 19 games in 2023-24.
With the Red Wings being a “cap team” this year, I do not anticipate this being the last time that Husso or Holl find themselves on waivers and/or assigned to Grand Rapids.
That’s okay. It’s not bad general managerial skills by Steve Yzerman–it’s just the cost of survival in the NHL when your roster is at the salary cap’s upper limit.
