Defenseman Simon Edvinsson’s return from injury came at the right time to help the Detroit Red Wings begin to formalize their Opening Day roster.
“Simon will play both (the final preseason) games, providing his health holds up, but we anticipate that it will,” Detroit coach Todd McLellan said. “He’ll need them. I think he’s playing catch up a little bit for him as an individual, but also for everybody else.”
Edvinsson said he is coming back a week ahead of schedule. He expects to be rusty when he returns to the lineup. “But hopefully not that much,” Edvinsson said, “and (I’m) just going to go from there and take steps every shift.”
On Wednesday, the Red Wings placed Sheldon Dries, William Lagesson, John Leonard, Ian Mitchell, Dominik Shine and Austin Watson on waivers for the purpose of sending them to Grand Rapids.
The Red Wings also assigned forwards Alex Doucet, Jakub Rychlovsky and Eduards Tralmaks to the Griffins. The Red Wings also released forwards Carson Bantle and Gabriel Seger, and defensemen Alex Kannok Leipert and Jacob Truscott from their professional tryouts. They also going to join the Griffins.
McLellan said they started today to discuss who is still in the mix to make the team. All they know at this point is that they will start with two veteran goalies in Cam Talbot and John Gibson.
“That leaves us 21 spots. We’re not we’re not clear yet on how that will all shake out,” McLellan said.
McLellan said the forward group is becoming clearer, helped by James van Riemsdyk’s arrival in Detroit today. With Austin Watson being sent down today, it seems like at least one rookie forward will make the team.
“For me it’s that group of defensemen,” McLellan said. “There’s eight or nine in the mix right now. We’re certainly not going to carry nine. So we’ve got to sort out that bottom tier of defensemen and that’s not complete yet.”
McLellan saying nine are in the mix suggests that Axel Sandin Pellikka is still under consideration. Veterans William Lagesson and Ian Mitchell were put on waivers today.