Red Wings waive Danny DeKeyser as Jakub Vrana nears return

It’s been a busy couple of days for the Detroit Red Wings.

On Sunday, the team claimed defenseman Olli Juolevi, the No. 5 overall pick from the 2016 draft, off waivers from the Florida Panthers.

On Monday, the team placed veteran defenseman Danny DeKeyser on waivers. The timing is certainly awkward, as DeKeyser is celebrating his 31st birthday. The Wings even tweeted a celebratory message hours before waiving him:

HBD, DK! 🥳 pic.twitter.com/DfGDwHKSP2

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) March 7, 2022

DeKeyser is in the final season of a six-year contract worth $30 million that was signed back in 2016. The Red Wings originally inked the Detroit native as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Western Michigan. He’s played 531 NHL games over 10 seasons, all with Detroit.

Given his $5-million cap hit, it’s very likely that DeKeyser will go through waivers unclaimed. If that’s the case, the Red Wings will save $1.125 million with DeKeyser as a buried contract.

The Wings waived DeKeyser in order to open up the room for the team to activate Jakub Vrana, who’s missed the entire 2021-22 season thus far after having shoulder surgery back in September.

While Vrana hasn’t yet been activated from the Injured Reserve, he skated on a line with Pius Suter and Robby Fabbri on Monday, and it appears that he’ll be making his season debut when the Wings host the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday.

The Red Wings acquired Vrana from the Washington Capitals last April in a deal that sent Anthony Mantha back the other way. The Czech winger ripped off eight goals and 11 points over the course of 11 games after the trade and inked a three-year deal worth $5.25 million annually with the Red Wings in August.

The newly-acquired Juolevi was skating on Detroit’s third defensive pairing on Monday alongside Gustav Lindstrom. Playing for the Wings will be a prime opportunity for Juolevi, 23, as veteran defensemen Nick Leddy, Marc Staal, and DeKeyser are all unrestricted free agents at the end of the season.