Austin Watson isn’t calling it quits on the NHL just yet.
Watson signed a professional tryout agreement (PTO ) with the Detroit Red Wings, his agency announced Wednesday. A former first round pick in 2010, the 32-year-old Watson spent last season in and out of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s bottom six on a one-year flier. Now, he will look to prove his NHL worth with his hometown team during training camp.
Watson’s best asset is his toughness, best shown by his 705 penalty minutes in 515 career games. He has never broken the 20-point threshold, though he did score a career-high 14 goals and 19 points with the Nashville Predators in 2017-18.
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With so many young players inching toward the NHL lineup, a player like Watson brings an element that could ensure opponents don’t take any liberties with them. Before committing to adding such a player — on a contract that could take space away from one of those rookies to begin with — Detroit gets a free trial during his tryout.
Watson is no stranger to Metro Detroit, having grown up in Ann Arbor, played AAA with Compuware and started his major junior career with the Windsor Spitfires. After a stop with the Peterborough Petes (of whom Steve Yzerman is a noted alumnus), he won the Memorial Cup with the London Knights in 2012, earning MVP honors in that postseason.
When it came to the NHL, though, Watson quickly became a role player with the Nashville Predators. He played there for six seasons, including the 2017 Stanley Cup Final run in which he chipped in nine points across 22 games. After being traded to Ottawa in 2020, he played three seasons there before mixing in and out of the bottom six last season with the Lightning.
Now, Watson will seek to play in the NHL once more. Whether he winds up with Detroit or not, his PTO is an opportunity to show he can still deliver.
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