Detroit Red Wings forward Austin Watson, playing in his first game since being called up to fill in for an injured Christian Fischer, played just 4:54 in Monday night’s loss to the New York Rangers. And if Fischer, as well as defenseman Jeff Petry, are back to full health, then he might not play a whole lot in the future. But that’s exactly where having an 11-year NHLer in the system is useful.
To many observers, this appeared to be an opportunity to call up one of the prospects that Detroit liked so much in preseason but did not find roster room to fit. Marco Kasper, Carter Mazur, Nate Danielson — all of them proved they could hang with NHLers at different points of the preseason. It won’t be long until they get their NHL games in, but for short call-ups like Watson’s, the Red Wings aren’t so interested in choosing prospects because of roles and ice time.
“I think it’s probably a fit, what we need,” Lalonde said Sunday, before Watson was called up, of the profile of who the Red Wings would most likely call up. “… Being a short term call up, it might be a more veteran guy than some of those young guys that probably need a more significant role in Grand Rapids.”
Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images
The Red Wings’ call-up considerations are this: They want to fill their needs at the NHL level with adequate players, but they also don’t want to disrupt their prospects in Grand Rapids for a minor role. They realize that Kasper, Mazur and probably Danielson too are — right now — better all-around hockey players than the likes of Watson, as well as depth forwards Sheldon Dries and Joe Snively for that matter. But the situation has to make sense to give the kids appropriate ice time. Playing 4:54 in the NHL doesn’t give them so much of a learning opportunity as playing 20-plus in the AHL.
Some of this comes down to development. Players can learn a lot in the AHL, as discussed late last week. General manager Steve Yzerman has shown patience with his prospects, forcing them to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are NHL ready and then still waiting a while longer to call them up (see: Simon Edvinsson).
[Read More: How Mistakes Shape the Red Wings’ Player Development at the NHL Level]
But by and large, the decision is about roles, too. Even if the trio of prospects in Grand Rapids have the 200-foot identity that Lalonde desires, one that would perform well in the bottom six, it isn’t their envisioned role to plug into depth minutes. If the trio of prospects are going to try out for an NHL job, the Red Wings would rather interview them in a role they see the players filling in the future.
Lalonde spoke to this Saturday, saying “I personally like where we’re at with some more young guys, and that we’re forwarding them the opportunity to play in Grand Rapids. I mean, you guys saw Marco (Kasper) and (Carter) Mazur. I mean, there’s three or four of those kids that can play with us tonight, but what does that look like?”
So what kind of role has to open up for the Red Wings’ prospects? It’s about ice time as well as call-up length. Addressing the former, Fischer’s injury opened up a third line role that looked like one big enough for a prospect like Kasper to earn an early call-up. But, a day-to-day prognostication on Fischer’s injury didn’t bring the desired length to make it worthwhile to call a prospect up. So, Watson got the call, and another prospect who made the NHL roster — Jonatan Berggren — got a promotion from the fourth line to Fischer’s spot on the third. This shows another wrinkle: Not only do the likes of Kasper, Mazur and Danielson have to compete against the older vets in Grand Rapids for promotions, but they also have to prove they’re a better bet than players who have already made the NHL roster who might prove they have earned a promotion.
All of this does mean that, in a way, Detroit is fielding a weaker roster than it could in order to prioritize development. There are also cap considerations, like sending down goaltender Ville Husso, that also weaken the Red Wings’ squad. Asked Sunday about the difficulty of coaching a team which might not have the best available players on it, Lalonde said, “That’s the reality of it. That’s today’s cap, that’s today’s NHL. All 32 teams are dealing with it.”
But some of that reality is also determined by Detroit’s approach to its prospects, specifically what it prioritizes in its call-ups. Even if 4:54 of NHL ice time isn’t the same as 20 in the AHL, the Red Wings’ sheltering of its prospects also has trade-offs for its NHL squad.
When it comes to call-ups for Kasper, Mazur and Danielson, they probably aren’t coming soon. If the Red Wings prioritize those players’ ability to develop a rhythm and don’t want to disrupt their seasons for small NHL cameos, expect Watson, Dries or Snively to shoulder these bit role call-ups. In the meantime, be prepared for the prospects to spend a while in Grand Rapids barring any major developments.
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