Breaking: Red Wings Has Announced Two Significant Reassignment and over $2.5M in projected cap space

The Red Wings announced on Tuesday that they have sent veterans Austin Watson and Justin Holl back to AHL Grand Rapids. This move leaves them with two open roster spots and over $ 2.5M in projected cap space, according to PuckPedia.

Watson had a very brief stint on the NHL roster, having just been recalled on Monday. The 32-year-old enforcer made his Detroit debut during a 4-1 loss to the Rangers, where he recorded a -1 rating, a minor penalty, and two hits in 4:54 of ice time. With over 500 NHL games under his belt, he attended the Red Wings training camp on a PTO and earned a two-way contract. However, he got placed on waivers and began the season in Grand Rapids after going unclaimed. Last year with the Lightning, he set career lows with just two goals and four points in 33 games.

Before being recalled, Watson had a strong start with the Griffins, marking his first AHL action since a brief conditioning period in March 2019. In two games, he recorded three assists and a +3 rating, along with 7 penalty minutes. His recall only minimally impacted his 30-day/10-game waiver exemption, meaning the Red Wings won’t need to put him through waivers again soon to return him to the minors.

Holl’s reassignment is somewhat unexpected. He had a hefty $ 3.4M cap hit and started the season on waivers, but he was brought back after Jeff Petry sustained an upper-body injury in the season opener. He stepped into a top-four role, tallying an assist, a +1 rating, and strong advanced possession metrics while averaging 18:38 of ice time per game. Given Detroit’s struggles with controlling play at 5-on-5 and averaging 32.67 shots against per game this season, Holl’s statistics were notably positive.

However, he will return to the minor leagues for potentially the first time since 2018. His reassignment indicates that Petry is nearing a return, while Watson’s demotion suggests the same for winger Christian Fischer, who is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.