Injuries in Detroit recently awarded Leonard a call-up, but he will return to the AHL. The 27-year-old forward has 41 points (27G / 14A) in 34 games this season with the Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL).
Leonard will be take a seat on Thursday in order to make way for Andrew Copp's return from a lower-body injury. Leonard has two goals and two assists in 11 games this season.
Already without Dylan Larkin (lower body), the Red Wings' depth at center has struggled even more with Copp sidelined for the last week. That said, Red Wings' Head Coach Todd McLellan had reassuring news on Wednesday, indicating that Copp will play on Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens.
Already without Dylan Larkin (lower body), the Red Wings' depth at center has struggled even more with Copp sidelined for the last week. That said, Red Wings' Head Coach Todd McLellan had reassuring news on Wednesday, indicating that Copp is ahead of his original recovery schedule and could possibly play on Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens.
On March 12th, Red Wings' Head Coach Todd McLellan indicated that Larkin will be out for two weeks, but after returning to practice on Thursday, he could be trending towards an earlier return. The Red Wings, also without Andrew Copp (lower body), are hurting at the center position and will be eager to get Larkin back into the lineup as they continue their late-season push to return to the playoffs.
Gibson has not been able to maintain his otherworldly pre-Olympic pace, partly due to team injuries, going 10-4-1 and posting a stellar 1.97 GAA and .924 SV% from late December to early February, but he has continued to give his team a chance. The 32-year-old Gibson has 2.28 GAA and .915 SV% in eight games since returning from the Olympic break (4-3-1), and the Red Wings will need him to continue being a stalwart if they have any intentions of returning to the playoffs. The Red Wings enter Thursday's contest as slight -100 home underdogs against a Montreal Canadiens team that is coming off a 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins to snap a two-game losing streak.
Already without Dylan Larkin (lower body), the Red Wings' depth at center has struggled even more with Copp sidelined for the last week. That said, Red Wings' Head Coach Todd McLellan had reassuring news on Wednesday, indicating that Copp could be ahead of his original recovery schedule and could possibly play on Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens.
Gibson had a light night in Detroit's previous outing, but came up short, allowing three goals on 24 shots (.875 SV%), in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars. The 32-year-old Gibson, deterred by significant team injuries, has not been on the losing side of most games lately, losing four of his last five (1-3-1) while posting a 2.58 GAA and .902 SV%. The Red Wings, desperately battling to stay in a playoff spot, enter Monday's contest as -178 home favourites against a Calgary Flames team that has lost three of its last four games (1-3-0).
Gibson had a light night in Detroit's previous outing, but came up short, allowing three goals on 24 shots (.875 SV%), in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars. The 32-year-old Gibson, deterred by significant team injuries, has not been on the losing side of most games lately, losing four of his last five (1-3-1) while posting a 2.58 GAA and .902 SV%. The Red Wings, desperately battling to stay in a playoff spot, enter Monday's contest as -178 home favourites against a Calgary Flames team that has lost three of its last four games (1-3-0).
Stachowiak was acquired as part of an AHL trade and will report to the Grand Rapids Griffins. Stachowiak appeared in 38 games for Syracuse (AHL) this season, registering nine goals and eight assists.
Milne was acquired as part of an AHL trade and will report to the Grand Rapids Griffins. Milne appeared in 19 games for Syracuse (AHL) this season, registering zero goals and one assist.
Watson is no stranger to the NHL, with 121 points (63G / 58A) in 528 career games, but he has yet to play a game this season. The 34-year-old forward has 20 points (11G / 9A) and 137 penalty minutes in 48 games this season with the Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL).
Dries is no stranger to the NHL, with 26 points (16G / 10A) in 122 career games, but he has exclusively played in the AHL the past three seasons. The undrafted 31-year-old forward has 37 points (20G / 17A) in 48 games with the Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL) this season.
With the Red Wings' top two centers, Dylan Larkin (lower body) and Andrew Copp (lower body), expected to miss the next two weeks, the team will need Gibson to be at his best as they battle for a playoff spot. The 32-year-old Gibson has arguably been Detroit's most valuable player this season, but he struggled in his most recent outing, allowing four goals on 28 shots (.857 SV%) in a 4-3 loss to the Florida Panthers. He has a 2.23 GAA and .917 SV% in his last six appearances (2-3-0). The Red Wings enter Thursday's contest as +187 road underdogs against a reeling Tampa Bay Lightning team that is 1-6-0 in its last seven games.
