The Detroit Red Wings battled the Columbus Blue Jackets in both teams’ preseason finale at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday evening, with Detroit looking to hold a dress rehearsal for the regular season against an NHL-caliber Blue Jackets roster. Detroit boasted a 2-0-and-1 record going into the game, while Columbus was 2-and-1.

On Saturday night at LCA, the Red Wings lost a frustrating 4-2 decision to the Columbus Blue Jackets, going down 3-0 before rallying to make it 3-2 in the 3rd, only to surrender an empty-netter while 6-on-5.

Jet Greaves was tremendous, stopping 32 of 34 shots, with the Wings firing a staggering 84 of 86 attempts on goal, but Columbus blocked 26 shot attempts, won 58% of their faceoffs, and were opportunistic in pouncing upon the Wings’ mistakes.

Charlie Coyle opened the scoring on the power play, by taking a faceoff won to Zach Werenski, to the side boards, where Kirill Marchenko tapped the puck across the slot to Coyle, who beat Anton Johansson to the net at 14:40 of the 1st;

Valeri Nichushkin tapped home a Coyle pass at 18:44 to make it 2-0;

3:55 into the 3rd period, Jack Williams beat Gibson up high to make it 3-0…

And while Ben Chiarot blasted a shot through traffic at 6:39 of the 3rd, and Michael Rasmusssen tapped a Kasper pass into the net at 14:19 of the 3rd…

Chiarot with goal #1 for the @DetroitRedWings !! pic.twitter.com/OwUY6vNSTB

— Detroit SportsNet (@WatchDSN) September 27, 2026

Rasmussen makes it a one goal game!! 🥳 pic.twitter.com/nnoPWOt7wt

— Detroit SportsNet (@WatchDSN) September 27, 2026

Detroit could not convert on their 4 power plays, Greaves out-played Gibson, and Columbus salted it away with a Cole Sillinger empty-netter at 19:49 of the 3rd.

The Red Wings also emerged unscathed from an injury scare when Carson Soucy took double minor for cross-checking Alex DeBrincat into the end boards from behind at 4:22 of the 3rd; DeBrincat would head to the medical room for a couple of seconds, but return to the bench by the time that Lucas Raymond sat in the box for sticking up for DeBrincat.

Detroit finishes its preseason at 2-1-and-1.

PREGAME: John Gibson and Jet Greaves led their respective teams out onto the ice:

Continue reading Red Wings-Blue Jackets preseason Tweetcap: Columbus’ Greaves out-foxes sloppy Red Wings in a 4-2 defeat →

The Grand Rapids Griffins defeated the Lake Erie Monsters 3-1 at Toledo’s Huntington Center today, kicking off the first half of a back-to-back slate of exhibition games in the “Glass City.”

The Griffins’ website posted a recap of the game:

GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS 3 vs. Cleveland Monsters 1

TOLEDO, Ohio — In their first preseason game since 2016, the Grand Rapids Griffins came away with a 3-1 victory over the Cleveland Monsters at the Huntington Center, highlighted by a two-goal performance from Sheldon Dries.

In addition to Dries, rookie Kienan Draper tallied the Griffins’ final goal and Michal Postava received the nod in net and totaled 15 saves on 16 shots. The Griffins did not see a power play in the contest, but the penalty kill went 3-for-3 with a shorthanded tally. 

Despite holding a 7-4 shot advantage, the Griffins trailed 1-0 after the first period. Shortly after a bout between Ronnie Attard and James Malatesta, Cleveland’s Boston Buckberger struck first at 13:13 of the opening frame.  

Grand Rapids got on the scoreboard 4:29 into the second period when Dries collected a rebound in the crease and stuffed it inside the right post. Dries tallied his second goal of the period with 2:24 remaining while shorthanded. Shai Buium ripped the puck from the left point and Dries redirected it past Evan Gardner to claim a 2-1 lead going into the final stanza. The Griffins outshot the Monsters 12-4 in the second. 

Draper lit the lamp 6:43 into the third period with a shot from the high slot. The Monsters pulled their netminder with 2:23 remaining for a 6-on-4 power play but failed to generate a goal and the Griffins skated away with a 3-1 victory. 

The Griffins also posted an 8:50 clip of post-game comments from Kienan Draper, Sheldon Dries and coach Dan Watson:

Continue reading Press release: Grand Rapids Griffins defeat Cleveland Monsters 3-1 in Toledo preseason game →

Bleacher Report’s Hannah Stuart compiled a column of prospects to “get excited about” on each of the NHL’s 32 teams. For Detroit, she picked someone who isn’t going to make the Red Wings’ roster this month as the Wings player to watch as he begins his professional hockey career with the Grand Rapids Griffins:

Detroit Red Wings: Carter Bear

Forward Carter Bear is fun as all get-out offensively and brings a motor that doesn’t quit; with the Detroit Red Wings in a bit of disarray of late, fans might enjoy turning their attention to the Grand Rapids Griffins to watch him and other highly skilled prospects for a while as that situation sorts itself out. 

Bear came into camp this season with a noticeable difference in both maturity and skill refinement, answering any questions that leadership might’ve had about whether he could transfer his abilities to the next level. He’s added both strength and confidence, aspects of the game necessary for a player with Bear’s skill set and style to succeed in the NHL.

He really digs in when he goes after the puck, and had quite a few people saying he could push for a roster spot this season, but unfortunately he recently suffered an upper-body injury that will have him out anywhere from a week to 10 days, which wipes out his chances of appearing in any further preseason efforts. Still, he’ll likely make some NHL appearances as an injury call-up, and if he gets his claws into a roster spot, don’t be surprised if he manages to keep it.

Continued; Bear’s only 19 going on 20 in November, but he impressed with his grit, skating and puck savvy both in the prospect tournament and in the one exhibition game he did play in before suffering that “upper-body injury.”

He’s got to get stronger and more assertive when battling for the puck, but Bear’s combination of raw skill, a great work ethic and strong self-belief make him an intriguing prospect to watch when he gets his legs underneath himself in Grand Rapids.

DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills asked Red Wings coach Todd McLellan to give his impressions of the pluses and minuses of Detroit’s training camp and abbreviated preseason, all ahead of tonight’s exhibition finale against Columbus (7 PM EDT start on Detroit SportsNet/97.1 FM):

“Just the unity of the players right now is fairly good, but we haven’t really played yet,” Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan said. “I had some concern about that. Not that they’re going to be torn apart, but just how they were going to deal with all of this stuff. And to this point, the locker room, the practices, the intermingling that I do with the group, they’re handling it fairly well. I don’t want to say that’s a surprise, but that’s good to see in here.”

A lot of credit goes to Detroit’s veterans for helping foster that environment this fall, a group that largely set the tone in Thursday night’s 3-2 overtime victory over the Buffalo Sabres – a physical, rather chippy contest that included the preseason debuts of established names like Alex DeBrincat, Lucas Raymond, Moritz Seider and Andrew Copp.

Now, based on Saturday’s morning skate, McLellan is again icing a lineup of mostly NHL regulars against the Blue Jackets – though some Opening-Night roster battles are coming down to the wire.

“It’s been very competitive,” McLellan said. “And the decisions, as I’ve said, they’ll basically decide with their play who ends up being on the team and who doesn’t. Separation has been created. Some individuals are getting another opportunity tonight, but there are obvious individuals that have stepped up – players that haven’t played on our club before have stepped up – and done a real good job. They have to continue to grow their game, but it’s starting to become clear to everybody in the organization.”

With the Detroit Tigers amid their final homestand of the 2026 MLB season this weekend, it was only fitting that McLellan borrowed some baseball terminology to describe how the organization is deciding who might make up the club’s 23-man Opening-Night roster.

“A lot of the immediate evaluation goes into it, because this is who you are in the moment,” McLellan said. “They do have track records that we have to refer to. Maybe things aren’t going quite as well for them in the moment right now or somebody has hit a bunch of home runs that normally doesn’t hit the long ball, so we have to be realistic and take their whole body of work into consideration. But basically, Training Camp, last game, roster on Monday. It’s about right now. Can you help us? That’s where we’re at.”

Red Wings prospect Nate Danielson will play tonight on a line with Carter Mazur and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, and Danielson told the Hockey News’s Michael Whitaker that he’s feeling better after missing seven months with a stress fracture in his upper leg:

“I think it’s been pretty good,” Danielson said of his play after Saturday’s morning skate. “I think it’s been nice to get into more games and get back into game mode over the summer. But it’s gotten better as the games have gone on. I feel like every time you play, you want to make a good impression,” he continued. “Obviously, it’s the last preseason game; I just want to have a good game and continue to grow.”

Danielson, who had three goals and 12 assists in 18 games with the Griffins last season, wants to capitalize more on his scoring chances, something Grand Rapids coach Dan Watson also emphasized earlier this month during the Prospects Tournament.

Watson said he’d like to see Danielson be more selfish with the puck and bear down on his scoring chances, something the young forward acknowledges he wants to do.

“I feel like I’ve heard that before,” Danielson said. “I think sometimes I tend to look for another pass, but I think I’m always trying to make the right play, whether it’s a pass or a shot. I think it’s just about getting into the mindset that if I have a shot, take it, especially in this League. If you look for that pass, that’s often when they can get a stick on it.”

Wings coach Todd McLellan believes that the young center can indeed provide offense and goals as the Wings look to shore up their scoring:

Continue reading Nate Danielson looks to improve his offense as the preseason winds down →

Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff reports that Red Wings forward Carter Mazur knows that, at 24 years of age, the non-waiver-exempt checker from Jackson, MI is on the cusp of making the Red Wings’ roster…and he’s on the cusp of not making the roster, too. Mazur told Duff that it’s “do or die” time in terms of trying to make the team:

“It’s a dream of mine to be a part of the Detroit Red Wings, and I feel like I have a lot more to show,” Mazur said.

He’s absolutely right on that count. The Mazur who has played for the Red Wings, both during this preseason and his eight-game audition late last season, isn’t anywhere near the same player who has looked dominant at times in the AHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Mazur displays a scoring touch in GR that’s never been evident during his time with the Red Wings. He’s been pointless as an NHLer. Last season, Mazur scored 11 goals in 16 games with the Griffins.

He willingly shoulders some of the blame for that absence of NHL offense. Mazur is proving guilty of a crime many young players commit. So concerned are they about not making a mistake when on the ice, they forget to display the ability that earned them this chance.

“Yeah, I think mainly it’s been, for me, more systematic,” Mazur said of his struggles to shine as an NHLer. “I feel like I’ve kind of been relying on that more so than my own game. So I just need to get to that comfortability of the system so I don’t need to think about it during the game and I can just play.”

Wings coach Todd McLellan told Duff that Mazur’s potential remains high:

Continue reading Carter Mazur understands that he’s got more to give the Red Wings, needs to play better to make the team →

Updated 2x at 4:58 PM: Per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman:

Detroit claims Andreas Englund from Calgary

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) September 26, 2026

Englund is a 30-year-old defenseman who stands at 6’3″ and 201 pounds. He’s mostly played in the AHL over the past couple of seasons, though he did have a serviceable season with the Los Angeles Kings in 2023-2024, playing 82 games and posting 1 goal and 9 assists for 10 points.

He’s signed to a 1-year, $900,000 contract.

UPDATE: The #RedWings today claimed defenseman Andreas Englund off waivers from the Calgary Flames. pic.twitter.com/W6nlSt8hPc

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 26, 2026

Englund is a big, 6'4" 200lbs Swedish defenseman, left shot, fringe NHL journeyman/AHL guy. Organizational depth pickup for Detroit. #LGRW https://t.co/mSxy6xoOn7

— Ryan Hana (@RyanHanaWWP) September 26, 2026

Per @FriedgeHNIC, the @DetroitRedWings claim defenseman Andreas Englund off waivers from Calgary. Drafted by Ottawa in 2014, he's skated in 200 NHL games with the Senators, Avalanche, Blackhawks, Kings, and Predators. He has 20 career points (2G, 18A), 190 PIM, and a minus-26…

— Michael Whitaker (@mwhitaker_89) September 26, 2026

6-4, 200 left shot D is 30. Played three games with Nashville and 52 with AHL Milwaukee last season. 200 career NHL games with OTT, COLO, CHI, LA, NASH (2-18–20). Signed one-year, 2-way with CLG 900K July 1. https://t.co/LhO5nESDTy

— Ansar Khan (@AnsarKhanMLive) September 26, 2026

Update: From Sportsnet…

Continue reading Friedman: Red Wings claim Angus Englund off waivers from Calgary →

Of Red Wings-related note from MLive’s Ansar Khan:

1. Khan discusses the Red Wings prospects’ attempts to stand out over the course of this exhibition season as the young players vie for jobs on Detroit’s opening night roster, noting this from coach Todd McLellan…

“Anton [Johansson] would be the surprise for me,” McLellan said. “I had heard real good things about him, but anytime you hear that … young player and is he going to need some time? He might still need that time. We’ll see where tonight goes.”

McLellan called it a competitive camp and said roster decisions will be based on whether the player can help right away.

“Separation has been created,” he said. “There are some obvious individuals that have stepped up, players that haven’t played on our club before that have stepped up, that have done a real good job. They have to continue to grow their game. But it’s starting to come clear to everybody in the organization.”

This from Carter Mazur, who would need waivers to be sent down to Grand Rapids…

“It’s kind of do or die in a way,” Mazur said of the game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Little Caesars Arena (7 p.m., Detroit Sports Net). “It’s a dream of mine to be a part of the Detroit Red Wings, and I feel like I have a lot more to show.”

This from Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, who will play on a line with Mazur and Nate Danielson tonight…

Continue reading Two things: Mazur, MBN and Danielson vie for spots on the Red Wings’ roster; DeBrincat a candidate for an alternate captain’s ‘A’ →

According to Sportsnet, two Red Wings players, Alex DeBrincat and Moritz Seider, have earned significant “iron man” streaks of late:

A look at the NHL’s longest active Iron Man streaks as we approach the regular season 💪 pic.twitter.com/cPNfmVXa9c

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) September 26, 2026

Of brief Red Wings-related note over the last 12 hours:

DetroitRedWings.com: Jonathan Mills posted an off-day notebook last night which focused on the Wings’ preparations for both tonight’s exhibition finale vs. Columbus and the regular season as a whole:

“We’ll play close to our lineup [on Saturday], but it won’t be our complete lineup,” Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan said. “Some guys have already used up their two games, and then we’ll decide after that. We talked yesterday about the business part of it. We talked about the roster size and how we want to put it together. Those decisions will be made after the game tomorrow and Sunday so that we can submit on Monday, like all the other teams, what we’re going to start with.”

McLellan has indicated most of the club’s 23-man Opening-Night roster is largely set with a handful of spots still up for grabs, barring further injuries, and that became even more clear on Friday afternoon when the Red Wings announced they trimmed their preseason roster to 28 players.

“The veterans that are here and were here last year have a spot until somebody takes that spot,” McLellan said. “I’m sure there’s debate: Why keep that guy? Why keep this guy? For me, I’ve watched him — Appleton, for example — and I think he’s played the last two games exactly the way we want him to play, and that’s a real good thing for him and for us. If he, or anybody else, can’t do it, then we have to find it somewhere. If that’s from within, great. If not, we’ll have to go out and get it.”

MLive: MLive’s Edward Pevos posted an article about some of the new merchandise offerings at Little Caesars Arena for this upcoming season;

Detroit Hockey Now: Bob Duff wrote an article about Mason Appleton’s attempt to keep his job and improve upon a disappointing first season with the Red Wings:

Continue reading Mini catch-up post: Red Wings stories of note from Friday night/Saturday morning →