Updated significantly at 4:08 PM: The Detroit Red Wings have assigned 17 players to the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins, and released 4 more from pro try-outs, all ahead of a weekend in which the Griffins will play back-to-back exhibition games against the Cleveland Monsters at Toledo’s Huntington Center:
Detroit Announces Multiple Transactions
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Detroit Red Wings on Friday assigned forwards Ondrej Becher, Cameron Butler, Sheldon Dries, Noah Dower Nilsson, Dylan James, Jesse Kiiskinen, John Leonard, Sutter Muzzatti, Theo Rochette, Dominik Shine and Wilmer Skoog, defensemen Ronnie Attard, Jacob Bryson, Shai Buium and William Lagesson, and goaltenders Trey Augustine and Michal Postava to the Grand Rapids Griffins.
The Red Wings also released forward Kienan Draper, and defensemen Justice Christensen, Alex Kannok Leipert and Jacob Truscott from their professional tryouts, returning them to Grand Rapids.
The Griffins will play two preseason games this Saturday and Sunday against the Cleveland Monsters at the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio. Grand Rapids will begin the AHL’s regular season on Friday, Oct. 2 when they travel to Rocket Arena to face the Monsters.
Update: Here’s the Red Wings’ version of the press release:
RED WINGS REDUCE PRESEASON ROSTER TO 28
… Detroit Concludes Preseason Slate with Home Game Against Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 7:00 p.m. at Little Caesars Arena …
DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today assigned forwards Ondřej Becher, Cameron Butler, Noah Dower Nilsson, Sheldon Dries, Dylan James, Jesse Kiiskinen, John Leonard, Sutter Muzzatti, Théo Rochette, Dominik Shine and Wilmer Skoog, defensemen Ronnie Attard, Jacob Bryson, Shai Buium and William Lagesson, and goaltenders Trey Augustine and Michal Postava to the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins. Additionally, the Red Wings have released forward Kienan Draper and defensemen Justice Christensen, Alex Kannok Leipert and Jacob Truscott from their professional tryouts, returning them to Grand Rapids.
Detroit currently has 28 players on its preseason roster: 16 forwards, nine defensemen and three goaltenders. Currently 2-0-1 through three preseason games, the Red Wings will conclude their preseason slate with a home game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 7:00 p.m. at Little Caesars Arena. The game will be carried on Detroit SportsNet and air on 97.1 The Ticket.
It should be noted that both Chase Stillman and Carter Bear are injured and cannot be sent down to Grand Rapids, at least on paper, until they are healthy, so they won’t count against the Wings’ 23-man roster limit due at 5 PM on Monday.
Realistically, the Red Wings have 26 men on their roster, and need to cut three players. Carter Gylander will be one of those cuts, cranking down the number to 25…
And from there, it’s a matter of whether the Wings will carry 14 forwards and 7 defensemen or 13 forwards and 8 defensemen.
Somewhere in there, Nate Danielson, Carter Mazur, Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, William Wallinder, Axel Sandin Pellikka and Jacob Bernard-Docker are fighting for 4 roster spots.
