Unkindest Deal of All For Former Red Wings Prospect

Tnias Mathurin could’ve wound up with the Detroit Red Wings, but things didn’t work out for him. Now, he’ll be playing just about as close as you can to Detroit without playing for the Red Wings.

The North Bay Battalion were trading Mathurin to the Windsor Spitfires, where he’ll be playing as an OHL overager next season. Each OHL team is permitted to suit up three 20-year-old players per game.

The @SpitsHockey got bigger and stronger on the blueline with the acquisition of shutdown presence Tnias Mathurin from the North Bay Battalion on Thursday.

DETAILS 📰: https://t.co/rQaILjk55z pic.twitter.com/sWNqLWo4T5

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) August 8, 2024

“Moving a really good player and good person like Tnias isn’t an easy decision,” North Bay general manager John Winstanley said in a news release from the club. The Battalion also moved a draft pick with Mathurin, while getting four draft picks from the Spitfires in return.

“We’d like to thank Tnias for everything,” Winstanley added. “He wore the Battalion crest with pride. He’s left an impact not only with our team but in the community. Our entire organization wishes him good luck with Windsor.”

On the one hand, moving to Windsor is giving him another season to be impressing NHL scouts. However, living in the shadow of the Little Caesars Arena, Mathurin will be getting a daily reminder of what might have been.

Red Wings Took Mathurin In Fifth Round

The Red Wings were selecting the 6-foot-3, 195-pound rearguard 137th overall during the 2022 NHL entry draft. At the time, the team was high on the potential Mathurin was offering.

“He’s a good-sized defender, he’s got a good stick, he’s pretty mobile defender,” Detroit assistant GM and amateur scouring director Kris Draper explained at the draft.

“We like his size. He moves well for a big man. A pretty athletic defenseman.”

Unfortunately, Mathurin, whose unique given name is Saint spelled backwards, was suffering a serious shoulder injury. The injury would be preventing him from attending the Red Wings rookie tournament in the fall of 2022. It would also scuttle his ability to play during the majority of the 2022-23 season. He wound up seeing action in one regular-season game and 11 playoff games that season.

That put him behind the eight ball in the battle to earn an NHL contract. And with other defense prospects like William Wallinder, Antti Tuomisto, Shai Buium and Axel Sandin Pellikka all blossoming, there simply wasn’t room for Mathurin.

Lots of Battalion representatives at @NHL Camps 🫡 pic.twitter.com/21U1tUx2Na

— North Bay Battalion (@OHLBattalion) July 4, 2024

The rules of the draft were giving the Red Wings two years to either sign Mathurin, or be forfeiting his NHL rights. On June 1, 2024, they were making the decision to let him go.

Today, Mathurin is a free agent, available to any NHL team. He was attending the development camp of the Chicago Blackhawks last month, but a contract offer wasn’t forthcoming.