Detroit Red Wings announce a major reinforcement has been added to their lineup against Utah

For the 1st time since early January, the Red Wings are getting some veteran help on their decimated blue line.

Defenseman Jeff Petry, who underwent surgery shortly after getting hurt on January 2 against the Columbus Blue Jackets, is set to make his return to the ice for tonight's game against the Utah Hockey Club (9:00 PM, FanDuel Sports Detroit, 97.1 The Ticket).

Following their loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday, the Red Wings sent defenseman William Lagesson to the Grand Rapids Griffins, effectively paving the way for Petry's return.

Petry, who is playing in the 2nd and final year of his contract, has played in just 34 games; he has 6 points (1G, 5A).

He was originally brought to the Red Wings, his hometown team considering that he's originally from the nearby Detroit suburb of Ann Arbor, in a 2023 trade with the divisional foe Montreal Canadiens that sent defenseman Gustav Lindstrom back the other way.

Speaking of the Canadiens, the Red Wings find themselves trailing by 5 points for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference to the Habs.

The fact that they've lost their last pair of games as part of an overall 2-11 stretch has once again sent them tumbling out of the playoff race - much in the same manner of last year's abysmal 7-game losing streak to kick off the month of March.

While the Red Wings are still mathematically alive in the postseason race, the fact that both Andrew Copp and Erik Gustafsson are finished for the remainder of the year combined with their remaining schedule being literally the toughest in the NHL doesn't exactly bode well for their chances.

If they ultimately miss, it would continue their franchise-record longest drought with no playoff appearances. Considering that the Red Wings aren't far off from their centenniel year, that's downright surprising.