The Red Wings just assigned goalie Michal Postava, Nate Danielson and John Leonard to the Grand Rapids Griffins, the team announced.
It comes the morning after a 4-0 loss at Colorado on Saturday night, Detroit's third defeat in a row. The Wings are 7-8-3 and sit eighth in the Atlantic Division.
The announcement itself was short, with no explanation attached:
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The post names the three players and the destination. It doesn't say who comes up in their place, so the roster for Tuesday's game at St. Louis is still unclear.
Danielson is the name that stands out. He went ninth overall in 2023, and he's now 22 years old with 13 games played this season, no goals, two assists and a -5 rating. Over his NHL career he has 2 goals and 7 assists in 41 games.
Those numbers aren't what Detroit wanted from a former lottery pick at this stage. Whatever the plan is for him in Grand Rapids, it can't be the one the Wings drew up in the summer.
Leonard was in the lineup Saturday in Colorado. He played 10:21 and fired five shots on goal, though he is still looking for his first point in three games this season. A week ago, John Leonard's recall from Grand Rapids was announced, the day after a 5-4 loss to the Blues.
What does this mean for Detroit's offense?
The Wings have scored 49 goals and allowed 56, a -7 differential. Saturday made it worse: Daniil Tarasov stopped 25 of 29 shots, and Detroit couldn't solve Mackenzie Blackwood, who made 27 saves for the shutout.
When a team that can't score sends away two skaters in the same move, the next recall matters more than the assignments. Todd McLellan and Shawn Horcoff have to decide who fills those spots, and whether it's a different kind of forward or just another body.
And Postava? He has played two NHL games, and the post says nothing about why he is on the move. We'll keep tabs on who the Wings bring in before the puck drops Tuesday in St. Louis.
Quick hits
FLORIDA PANTHERS: Anton Lundell looks cleared to play in Boston, according to the warmup lines posted minutes before puck drop. Good news for Florida, which gets a key piece back for a tough road matchup.
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CALGARY FLAMES: Ryan Huska explained how Kevin Bahl ruptured his Achilles. It happened while warming up Friday night, and the Flames coach called it a freak accident. Brutal way to lose a defenseman.
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NEW YORK ISLANDERS: Stefen Rosner reports that Mathew Barzal, Matias Maccelli and Ryan Pulock have made the trip to California with the team. Those three on the plane means the Islanders are heading to San Jose with real options.
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OTTAWA SENATORS: Bruce Garrioch reports the Senators sent goalie Jonas Johansson down to Belleville, and Linus Ullmark appears ready for Tuesday. That is a crease decision with real consequences for Ottawa.
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WINNIPEG JETS: Scott Arniel says Josh Morrissey will not return tonight against Tampa Bay, a reversal from what was expected. The Jets will have to play another game without their top defenseman.
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Should the Red Wings have kept Nate Danielson in the NHL lineup instead of sending him to the AHL?
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