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The post Three Red Wings Roster Projections (+) appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

When it comes to playing Detroit Red Wings preseason games, Ville Husso may have priority status. He should be in Group 1 when coach Derek Lalonde loads the lineup.

Husso looks fully recovered from last season’s injury problems. But he has not played a 60-minute NHL game since Dec. 12. That was more than nine months ago. He had plenty of time for rust to build up.

“He’s gonna need reps and he’s gonna need live reps and obviously we’ll get some opportunity within practice,”  Lalonde said. “..It’s something we’re conscious of as a group, not only getting him reps, but with the amount of goalies we have in rotating through, getting some really good reps and some live reps.”

Lalonde will have Sunday’s Red and White intrasquad game, plus eight preseason games to determine Husso’s readiness.

Those games are critical because Lalonde is hosting an open competition to start the season as the team’s No. 1 goalie. He has four goalies (Ville Husso, Alex Lyon, Cam Talbot and Jack Campbell) with NHL experience.

Husso, Lyon and Talbot are the prime competitors, with Campbell projecting to at least start the season in Grand Rapids. But if the Red Wings have injuries, he certainly could end up in Detroit’s mix.

“It is a true clean slate,” Lalonde said. “I think over the last two years, all three of those goalies, when I say those three goalies, we kind of have a vision. Ville, Cam and Alex have had really nice stretches in this league. Proved they can win in this league and we’ll look for one to step up. You know, Jack has obviously done that also. So obviously we have some numbers in camp, which is a little unique, but it’s a positive.”

Two Divided by Three

The Red Wings had three goalies parent club roster last season, and it worked for them. But it comes with problems in practice because there are only two nets.

“Wasn’t ideal,” Lalonde said. “That same question you had on some reps and getting the nets at times. But again, it saved our season. So it’s going to be a healthy competition. It’s going to be wide open and it’s a clean slate.”

Husso said Saturday that he was feeling good.

“It’s always, always tough not playing, especially last year, that second injury, kind of like you just want to get out there and then you’re not ready to go,” Husso said. “But at least I got some extra time this summer rehabbing and training and stuff. So. Feel good now and excited to play some preseason games. “

Husso passed the eye test with those who saw him in the informal summer skates and the opening two days of training camp.

Having him on the ice this summer, he’s looking good, he’s back healthy,” Red Wings Alex DeBrincat said. “I think you maybe have to talk to him about how he feels, but he looks good.”

DeBrincat has seen indications of Husso being his pre-injury self.

“I think he’s back to hard to score on in practice, always battling, and I think those are the goalies that are maybe the most fun to play on in practice,” DeBrincat said. “Cause they’re always, they’re not gonna let you just put it in the net on a rebound or whatever. They’re always fighting for that rebound. He’s looked great so far. I’m excited to have him back. Hopefully, he has a little bit better luck with injuries this year, so I think he’ll be a big part of our team.

The post Preseason Games Most Critical For Ville Husso appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

It wasn’t planned that way.  However, Detroit Hockey Now’s two goaltending stories over the past 24 hours covered Red Wings goaltending yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Bob Duff’s story explains why the Red Wings are concerned about Ville Husso‘s ability to stay healthy. The medical reports are all positive about Husso, but in the back of everyone’s mind is the reality that he hasn’t play a full 60-minute game since December.

Concern over that fact showed in the Red Wings’ decision to sign Cam Talbot as a free agent.

The other DHN paywall (+) goalie story points out that Detroit’s goaltending prospects Sebastian Cossa and Trey Augustine represent the team’s most promising young goaltending tandem since the Red Wings had Glenn Hall to follow Terry Sawchuk in the 1950s.

The Red Wings could actually be thinking of Cossa and Augustine playing together at some point because the days of having a No.1 goalie playing 65 to 70-plus games are over.  Only three goalies played 60 or more games in 2023-24.

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

Carolina Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis signed a new contract. It could have implications on the Lucas Raymond negotiations. They are both 22, and have similar career numbers. ty

Igor Larionov‘s son, Igor Jr., is at the center of a mini-controversy on a KHL team.

Michael Brandsegg-Nygard‘s Norway team still has a shot at qualifying for the next Olympic Games.

Red Wings Offseason

Detroit hasn’t been in the NHL playoffs since 2016, but the franchise remains a national draw for television. From Detroit fan perspective, the only negative of that is the later start times.

15 national games! pic.twitter.com/iJ0EVXbGg1

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) August 29, 2024

Hockey Now Network

Boston: Tyler Johnson has signed a PTO to join the Bruins in training camp. Detroit fans will remember how Johnson hurt the Red Wings when he played for Tampa Bay years ago. Boston Bruins. 

Montreal: Marc Dumont offers readers a guide to where Montreal’s prospects will be playing this season. Montreal Canadiens.

Nashville: NHN offers the top 10 Nashville players from 2000-09. Hint: Paul Kariya may have made the list. Nashville Predators.

Pittsburgh: Dan Kingerski offers and over and under on all things Penguins. It’s an interesting read. Pittsburgh Penguins.

The post The Daily: Red Wings Goalies Today and Tomorrow; Tyler Johnson PTO appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

On the one hand, the Detroit Red Wings are hopeful that Ville Husso’s injury woes will be a thing of the past.

“The most important thing with Ville is being healthy, and he feels 100 percent, he feels healthy,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said.

At the same time, Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman is a pragmatic realist. He recognizes the fact that Husso’s most recent 60-minute game in the NHL came on December 14 of last year. And the reason for Husso’s lengthy absence from his puck stopping duties was a lower-body injury.

Ville Husso has gone to the locker room pic.twitter.com/7qBmPBlVZm

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) December 19, 2023

A netminder’s legs are his bread and butter. Without a healthy pair of them, he’s toast.

DHN colleague Kevin Allen recently went into great detail about the excitement within the organization for goaltending prospects Sebastian Cossa, Trey Augustine and Carter Gylander. So that fact might lead you to wonder why the team would go out over the summer and double the number of NHL-experienced netminders it has under contract. The Red Wings were adding unrestricted free agents Cam Talbot and Jack Campbell to returnees Husso and Alex Lyon.

Can Red Wings Count On Husso?

The reason for acquiring such goaltending depth, quite frankly, is because they simply don’t know whether they can count on Husso. Yzerman frankly admits this to be a legitimate concern.

“Yeah, significantly, honestly,” Yzerman said. “You go into a season with your two goaltenders, and a guy you’re projecting to play a lot is unhealthy. It’s a huge hole to fill at the start of the season.

“So we decided we’re gonna go get another goaltender. And we’ll let training camp go through we’ll see how Ville’s health is and and then make a decision at some point.”

Husso thought he was healthy enough to play twice last season. When he was returning to action at Edmonton on February 13, his night ended before the nine-minute mark of the first period.

His next attempt at a comeback was on a rehab assignment with the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins. Husso didn’t make it through the pre-game warmup.

So forgive the Red Wings hockey operations staff for taking reports of Husso’s return to health with the proverbial grain of salt.

Ville Husso holding his baby in his goalie glove is the cutest thing you’ll see today

(via IG/haleyhusso) pic.twitter.com/gtJwwzXUSl

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) December 5, 2023

“It’s too bad last year on the injuries because he had a really good offseason,” Lalonde recalled of the team’s 2023 training camp. “He came in leaner, probably had his best summer he’s had off the ice. So I think it’s something he can build on.

“The good thing about Ville is he’s also excited about the competition. Credit to our management group. With three goalies last year it’s very unique to the league. It’s certainly not ideal in some situations, when you talk about practice time, obviously game time. But it literally saved our season last year.

“I think we’re going to start with that same mentality this year.”

The post Husso’s Health Still Concerns Red Wings appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

One more point and the Detroit Red Wings would’ve been a participant in the NHL playoffs this season. It was that close.

Will it be that close a call again next season?

Perhaps not.

Every season is different and change figures to be a major player in Detroit’s offseason plans. Some new players are guaranteed to be inserted into the lineup, while there’s also a strong chance that some key performers from last season won’t be wearing the winged wheel during the 2024-25 NHL season.

Here’s five reasons why next season could see regression by the Red Wings in the NHL standings

Red Wings Rookies Not Ready For Prime Time

It’s known that three players who spent the majority of the past season toiling for the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins are virtually guaranteed spots with the big club next season. Defenseman Simon Edvinsson likely was earning his place in Detroit via his steller play during a late-season recall.

JONATAN BERGGREN DOES IT AGAIN IN OVERTIME@griffinshockey | #GRvsRFD | #CalderCup pic.twitter.com/IvxI7FwG6B

— American Hockey League (@TheAHL) May 4, 2024

On the other hand, forward Jonatan Berggren and defenseman Albert Johansson are out of options and would need to clear NHL waivers go back down to the Griffins. That isn’t going to happen, so they’ll almost certainly be staying in Detroit.

If any or all of the three of them show growing pains, or struggle with the transition to the show, things could go badly for the Red Wings.

Power Play Power Outage

One of the key elements in Detroit’s uptick in the standings was that the team was icing a much more efficient and effective power-play unit. Clicking at 23.1% with the man advantage, the Red Wings would rank ninth in the league. Just five teams potted more power-play goals than the 63 netted by the Wings.

Detroit goal!

Scored by Lucas Raymond with 01:17 remaining in the 3rd period.

Assisted by David Perron and Shayne Gostisbehere.

Detroit: 4
Montreal: 4#MTLvsDET #LGRW #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/n6I6280jQ6

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) April 16, 2024

Two key elements in this improvement were defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere and forward Patrick Kane. Gostisbehere would account for a team-leading 29 power-play points. Meanwhile, following his late-November arrival, Kane’s inate ability to gain the zone really got the power play rolling. He was good for 15 power-play points.

Both players, though, are unrestricted free agents. If both sign elsewhere, how will their absence impact the potency of the Detroit power play?

Erratic Red Wings Netminding

The fighting spirit of the Detroit goaltending crew last season was certainly to be admired. However, on too many nights they were also fighting the puck.

Alex Lyon and James Reimer were both tied for 28th in the NHL in save percentage at .904. Ville Husso (.892) wound up much further down the list.

Similar to Husso the season prior, Lyon was struggling down the stretch, perhaps to do with the fact that he was reaching a career high in games played.

Lack Of Commitment To Defense

One alarming factor that’s been a steady presence during the two seasons with Derek Lalonde as head coach of the Red Wings is an alarming number of goals keep ending up in their net. This is not a path toward long-term success.

Even as they battled for their playoff lives down the stretch, the Red Wings were giving up at least four goals in 15 of their final 22 regular-season games. And that can’t all be hung on the shoulders of the goaltenders.

The Red Wings need to become a more consistent defensive team in order to be taken seriously as a legitimate playoff contender.

Other Teams Will Be Getting Better

You know that the New Jersey Devils aren’t going to be as bad of a team next season. That will be especially true if they shore up their goaltending. Likewise, it’s only logical that Atlantic Division teams such as the Buffalo Sabres, Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens are going to be improving next season.

If the Red Wings fall off even a little bit, any or all of these teams might offer the potential to pass Detroit by.

The post Five Reasons Why Red Wings Could Regress Next Season appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

The Detroit Red Wings didn’t opt to sign goaltender Jan Bednar to an NHL contract. He’ll still be remaining part of the organization, though.

Monday, the Grand Rapids Griffins were announcing that they were signing the Czech netminder to a one-year AHL contract. Bednar was also with the Griffins on an AHL contract this past season. However, he spent the entire season with the ECHL Toledo Walleye.

UPDATE: The Griffins on Monday re-signed goaltender Jan Bednar to a one-year contract extension for the upcoming 2024-25 campaign #GoGRG

DETAILS >> https://t.co/gRZoIgjoOf pic.twitter.com/xG70V8ryPQ

— x – Grand Rapids Griffins (@griffinshockey) June 3, 2024

Bednar (pronounced BEHD-nash) showed a 22-7-2 record, a 2.66 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage in 36 regular-season games for the Walleye this season. He also would tally a 4-1 mark in the postseason to go along with a 2.37 GAA and a .917 save percentage. The 21-year-old made his debut for Toledo during the 2022-23 campaign, completing a 1-1-0 ledger with a 3.01 GAA and a .901 save percentage in three outings.

Selected 107th overall pick by the Red Wings in the 2020 NHL entry draft, Detroit had until June 1 to ink the 6-foot-4, 196-pound netminder goaltender to a pact, or the club would relinquish his NHL rights. While that didn’t happen, it took just two days for Bednar to decide to remain under contract with the Griffins for another season.

Red Wings Still Likely To Sign Another Goalie

It would appear probable that Bednar and the recently-signed Carter Gylander will be designated to share the netminding chores with the Walleye next season. Currrently with just two goaltenders under contract showing NHL experience on their resumes – Alex Lyon and Ville Husso – in all likelihood come July 1 the Red Wings will be signing a veteran UFA goalie capable of playing in the NHL in a pinch to backup Sebastian Cossa next season with the Griffins. At the same time, they’ll want it to be a netminder capable of clearing NHL waivers when he’s given assignment to Grand Rapids.

Now backing up tonight #30 Carter Gylander #GoGRG pic.twitter.com/wVUJyhPUag

— x – Grand Rapids Griffins (@griffinshockey) April 12, 2024

The Red Wings want Cossa to carry the load as their No. 1 AHL goaltender next season. It’s unlikely that they’d be willing to throw him into a long-term NHL role if something were to happen to Lyon and Husso. Husso missed significant playing time this past season due to injury. He didn’t play a full NHL game after December.

The post Griffins Re-sign Red Wings Draftee Bednar appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Could the Detroit Red Wings trade for a goaltender? Sure, they could do that.

The real question, though, is why would they do that?

Dealing for a puckstopper hasn’t worked out for them in recent years. Nor has it proven to be a path for success elsewhere in the NHL.

Of the three goalies who were logging the most time between the pipes for Detroit last season, it was the one the Red Wings traded for who struggled the most. Between injury and erratic play, no one was mistaking Ville Husso for a Vezina Trophy contender.

Ville Husso has gone to the locker room pic.twitter.com/7qBmPBlVZm

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) December 19, 2023

Husso was 85th in the NHL with a 3.55 GAA. His .892 save percentage was good enough for 73rd overall among NHL netminders.

In two seasons with Detroit since arriving in a deal with the St. Louis Blues, Husso has left more questions than he has provided answers. And he’s still got one year left on his contract with the team that will pay him $4.75 million next season.

So if the Red Wings do want to deal for a new goalie, they’ll need to be getting rid of one of their current goalies. It’s more likely that choice would be Husso than Alex Lyon. Moving Husso is going to be a tough sell to other NHL clubs.

Red Wings Have Goalie Trade Options

Certainly, there are some goalies around the NHL who are available for trade. Some good ones, in fact.

At the top of that list is 2022-23 Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark. The Boston Bruins want to move on from him and go with Jeremy Swayman as their No. 1 guy. According to published reports, Ullmark, armed with a no-trade pact, has submitted a nine-team list to the Bruins of teams he’d consider joining.

Are the Red Wings on that list? It would seem doubtful.

Besides, the Bruins also are reportedly seeking a first-round pick in any package for Ullmark, who’s slated to be making $5 million heading into the last year of his contract. Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman is unlikely to give up a first-rounder for a goalie who’s never won a playoff series.

Other possibilities for puckstopper deals include Jacob Markstrom of the Calgary Flames and Filip Gustavsson of the Minnesota Wild. Markstrom will make $6 million each of the next two seasons and his numbers over the past two seasons look remarkably similaro to those of Detroit’s goalies.

Gustavsson is just 25 and only making $3.75 million over the next two seasons. But last season, his save percentage slipped from .931 down to .899, while his GAA jumped to 3.06 from 2.10. Which season was the aberration?

Cup Winners Don’t Trade For Goalies

Recent history shows that in general, teams that win Stanley Cups grow their own goaltenders. This year’s Cup final is putting a goalie signed as a UFA (Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky) against a goaltender who was drafted by his team (Edmonton’s Stuart Skinner). In fact, Bobrovsky was the only goalie among the final four who wasn’t home grown.

Stuart Skinner: Last 8 games

6-2 Record
1.81 GAA
.920 Save %#LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/A3ByJ84EMI

— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) June 3, 2024

Over the past 12 seasons, just one team has won the Stanley Cup with a goalie between the posts who was acquired via trade. That was last season, with Adin Hill and the Vegas Golden Knights. However, it’s prudent to remember that home grown Logan Thompson was to be the go-to goalie for Vegas until he suffered an injury.

In fact, 10 of the last 12 goalies to backstop their teams to the Cup were draftees of that team.

The post Why Red Wings Shouldn’t Trade For Goalie appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Through much of his first season with the Detroit Red Wings, Ville Husso looked as though he was going to be the solution to the team’s goaltending issues.

For most of last season, Husso was a problem. A big problem. And looking toward next season, there’s a legitimate question mark as to whether he can be part of the solution going forward.

Husso didn’t play a complete game for the Red Wings after Dec. 16. He would suffer a lower-body injury Dec. 18 against the Anaheim Ducks. The next time Husso saw NHL action was Feb. 3 at Edmonton. Just 8:48 into the game, he was reinjured.

leon draisaitl gives the oilers a 1-0 lead, and ends ville husso’s night, as he’s shaken up. pic.twitter.com/5b4Ep1s1Ur

— zach (@zjlaing) February 14, 2024

His next attempt to come back was in an AHL rehab assignment with the Grand Rapids Griffins on April 12. He reaggravated the injury during warmup and didn’t play.

“I think it was a really tough year, injury-wise,” Husso said. “I guess at the end even mentally, too, it was hard not to play.

“We were trying everything to come back a little earlier than supposed to but unfortunately, it didn’t work.”

Husso Endured Struggles With Red Wings

Even when he did play, Husso didn’t play all that well. His .892 save percentage left Husso 73rd overall in the NHL. Husso’s 3.55 GAA was 83rd in the league. Amazingly, despite these dismal digits, he would manage to go 9-5-2.

“Ville, his numbers were drastically down from a year ago, but he won a lot of hockey games fos us.”

Husso’s decline and fall began during the 2022-23 campaign. He’s allowed three or more goals in 25 of his last 34 appearances for the Red Wings.

Misery Loves Company In Red Wings Goal

Then again, no Detroit netminder was giving off Vezina Trophy vibes during the 2023-24 season. Not one of three puckstoppers who saw significant duty for the team – Husso, Alex Lyon, James Reimer – would rank among the top 50 in GAA or save percentage.

“All three of those guys at different points of the season had a very positive impact on us and played games to help us win and put us in a position to almost make the playoffs,” Detroit GM Steve Yzerman said. “But, having said that, they need to be better.

“We need to be better in all aspects of keeping the puck out of our net, not only with our goalies but with our D corps but our forwards as well.”

What Next For Husso?

There’s still one season left on Husso’s contract with the Red Wings. He’ll carry an AAV of $4.75 million.

Might the Red Wings try to trade Husso? Well, they could, but that would prove difficult on a number of fronts. Is there going to be demand for a goaltender with a chronic leg injury who didn’t get through either of his final two starts of last season.

On Saturday, Alex Lyon had to leave the game early due to injury. Now Ville Husso has to leave tonight's game due to an injury. James Reimer is now in goal.#LGRW pic.twitter.com/AhbLlL27Hg

— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) December 19, 2023

Even if the Wings were able to deal Husso, that only serves to create another problem. They’ll need to be adding two NHL-capable goalies to the roster in a summer in which the goalie market is remarkably thin.

“It’s an interesting position right now around the league in goaltending in that everyone is looking for a goaltender, whether it’s a 1 or a 2 or a 3,” Yzerman said. “Most teams need three goalies.”

That doesn’t mean Yzerman will just automatically go into next season with Lyon and Husso penciled in as his NHL goalies, while looking for a third puckstopper to replace UFA Reimer.

“It’s my job to try to look to see if I can improve our team in any which way and I will do that at every position,” Yzerman said.

That replacement won’t come from within. Sebastian Cossa and Trey Augustine, the top netminding prospects in the Detroit chain, aren’t seasoned enough to handle regular NHL duty.

The post Red Wings Dilemma: What to do With a Problem Named Husso appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

The Detroit Red Wings are left with two must-win games remaining on the NHL schedule in order to keep their playoff hopes alive. And as they arrive are Game 81 of the campaign, they are still facing the same question they’ve been dealing with for much of this season.

They don’t know who their go-to goalie is.

Left with a home-and-home set against the Montreal Canadiens on Monday-Tuesday to close out the regular season, do the Red Wings stick with veteran James Reimer? He got the win on Saturday in Toronto in his 500th career NHL game, drawing rave reviews from the team.

Transforming into a member of the 5️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ NHL games played club.

Congratulations to @DetroitRedWings goaltender James Reimer! pic.twitter.com/lFtDnW8lFX

— NHLPA (@NHLPA) April 13, 2024

“The ultimate teammate,” was how captain Dylan Larkin was describing Reimer to Bally Sports Detroit. “He’s got the best attitude, coming to the rink with a smile.

“He gave a great speech after the game about how lucky he was to play one game, let alone 500.  It was a great locker room atmosphere after that game.”

Clearly, Reimer is giving the club a boost during his limited opportunities to work between the posts.

“He just battles,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said. “No matter what happens, we know we’re gonna get the most out of him and when he battles, I think it just lifts the group.”

He’s 7-2 over his last nine decisions. However, the 36-year-old puckstopper has been given successive starting assignments just once since late December.

Lyon Carrying Load For Red Wings

Since returning from injury in late December, journeyman veteran Alex Lyon, 31, has been seeing the bulk of duty between the pipes for Detroit. He’s been in the net in 36 of the last 45 games played by the Red Wings.

This season, Lyon has established career highs for games (43), wins (20) and shutouts (two).

“It speaks volumes for him as an individual, where he is in his career,” Lalonde said. “He’s a career minor leaguer. He was signed to be our starter in Grand Rapids and here he is giving us a chance this late in the season.

“It speaks really well on him.”

However, Lyon’s numbers of late aren’t tracking toward success. He’s 2-10-3 over his last 15 decisions. Granted, wins and losses by a team don’t rest solely on the shoulders of the netminder. Still, Reimer is coming off a big win. Will the Wings ride with him at home on Monday?

Husso Was Supposed To Be The Guy

At the outset of the season, Ville Husso was the de facto No. 1 goalie for Detroit. However, a pair of lower-body injuries have put him on the shelf for all but nine minutes of action since Dec. 18. Husso was to play a rehab assignment Friday with AHL Grand Rapids. However, he didn’t make it through the warmup. Lalonde indicated that Husso suffered a tweak to his injury.

@DetroitRedWings goalie Ville Husso was scheduled to start for @griffinshockey & did take warm ups but then left the ice a bit early. We are told he will no longer start nor dress tonight. @SebastianCossa will now start, riding a personal franchise record 19 game point streak pic.twitter.com/EZFn4OdDmf

— Larry Figurski (@larryfigurski) April 12, 2024

That the Red Wings are contending for the playoffs without a true No. 1 goalie is a tribute to the work that Lyon and Reimer are delivering.

“There will be a lot to reflect back on this season,” Lalonde said. “For us to lose our starting goaltender and for us to be as competitive as we’ve been in that position speaks volumes on both those guys.

“They’ve been excellent for us.”

The post Do Red Wings Have Goalie Controversy? appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Friday was to be comeback night for Detroit Red Wings netminder Ville Husso. Recovering from a lower-body injury, he was going to see his first game action guarding the net for Detroit’s top farm club, the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins.

Husso, though, didn’t make it through the pre-game warmup. After taking some shots in the Griffins net, Husso left the ice prior to the conclusion of the warmup. He was seen conversing with the Griffins training staff after leaving the ice.

@DetroitRedWings goalie Ville Husso was scheduled to start for @griffinshockey & did take warm ups but then left the ice a bit early. We are told he will no longer start nor dress tonight. @SebastianCossa will now start, riding a personal franchise record 19 game point streak pic.twitter.com/EZFn4OdDmf

— Larry Figurski (@larryfigurski) April 12, 2024

When the Griffins would skate out for their game against the Rockford IceHogs, Sebastian Cossa was the starting goalie. Carter Gylander was backing him up.

“Ville Husso is now unavailable for tonight’s game,” the Griffins posted on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter. “Sebastian Cossa will be in net.”

Following the game, Griffins coach Dan Watson was offering no update on Husso’s condition, only that he was told the netminder wouldn’t be available for the game. It was uncertain whether the Detroit goalie would be accompanying Grand Rapids to Chicago for Saturday’s game against the Wolves.

Injury-Plagued Season For Husso

Slated to be Detroit’s No. 1 goalie at the outset of the season, Husso has seen action in one NHL game since December. The Finnish puckstopper would suffer a lower-body injury in a Dec. 18 game against the Anaheim Ducks at Little Caesars Arena.

Husso sat out Detroit’s next 20 games while recovering from the ailment. Following a rehab stint at Grand Rapids in which he would post a 25-save shutout against the Belleville Senators, Husso was back in the Red Wings net for a Feb. 13 game at Edmonton against the Oilers. Just 8:48 into that game, He would suffer another lower-body injury and depart.

“I guess it’s part of it,” Husso said earlier of his injury struggles this season. “It’s one of those years that everything goes not your way. It’s been tough but it’s hockey. I’ll be stronger when I come back.”

UPDATE: The #RedWings today loaned goaltender Ville Husso to the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins for conditioning. pic.twitter.com/1njr5cFeFK

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) April 8, 2024

He was slated to see his first game action since that injury on Friday.

The Giffins lost 2-0 to the IceHogs, thus ending their 19-game home-ice point streak. As well, Cossa’s franchise-record 19-game point streak also was coming to a halt.

Sharing the Red Wings net with Alex Lyon and James Reimer, Husso is 9-5-2 in 19 games, with an .892 save percentage and 3.55 GAA.

The post Red Wings Husso Doesn’t Survive Warmup in Grand Rapids appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.