Detroit Red Wings send preseason standout to the Grand Rapids Griffins in an unexpected turn of events
Photo credit: NHL.com
The Detroit Red Wings have waived a standout forward from the lineup, as John Leonard, who found the net twice against the Penguins, will call the AHL home again soon.
The Detroit Red Wings have released their latest cuts on Wednesday, in an effort to finalize their roster before the start of the NHL season, on October 9th.
The team would send the rest of the remaining AHL players back to Grand Rapids, where they can grow into NHL players. That is the hope.
Among the cuts were forwards Dominik Shine, Jakub Rychlovsky, Sheldon Dries, Alex Doucet, Eduards Tralmaks, Carson Bantle, Austin Watson, John Leonard, and Gabriel Seger.
Defensemen who will be headed back to Grand Rapids will be William Lagesson, Jacob Truscott, Ian Mitchell, and Alex Kannok Liepert.
The flurry of roster moves is an attempt to control the salary cap and maintain roster flexibility ahead of the season. Though one player who stood out during preseason play was sent back to Grand Rapids, we're puzzled as to why.
John Leonard Heads Back to The Grand Rapids Griffins
The Red Wings signed John Leonard this offseason in order to bolster the ranks in the AHL.
He'll be joining the rest of the players who will be returning to the minor leagues with hopes of one day earning an NHL roster spot.
Leonard's cut was surprising, most of all due to his stellar performance against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
On September 26, 2025, he'd score two goals against the Pittsburgh Penguins, and we'd thought he'd earn a longer look in the NHL. But it doesn't appear he's caught Todd McLellan's eye, which could be a mistake since the team doesn't have a great bottom-six at the moment.
Leonard played a total of 24 shifts and 13:53 time on ice that night.
The Red Wings signed John Leonard to a one-year $775K average annual value contract on July 1st.
Previously on Red Wings Insider
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