Emergency conditions see veteran Austin Watson join the Red Wings, adding size and experience as the team navigates forward group shifts and injuries.
In a move signaling depth concerns for the Detroit Red Wings, the club has recalled veteran right‑winger Austin Watson from the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League on Thursday. Watson, a 33‑year‑old Ann Arbor native drafted 18th overall in 2010, arrives with a resume that includes more than 500 NHL games and a proven physical, veteran presence.
The recall comes on the heels of the organization sending down former first‑round pick Michael Brandsegg‑Nygård, who was reassigned from Detroit to Grand Rapids earlier this month after the club opted to adjust its forward group. Brandsegg‑Nygård, the 15th overall pick in 2024 and the first Norwegian selected in the first round by the franchise, posted 11 points in 42 games in Sweden before returning. At the same time, Detroit’s anticipated replacement option at Grand Rapids, youngster Carter Mazur, is sidelined with an injury after a red hot start to the season with the Griffins, leaving a hole in the lineup that likely influenced Watson’s recall.
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Watson has been a strong contributor in Grand Rapids this past season, where his numbers stand out with 19 goals and 23 assists for 42 points, along with 96 penalty minutes and a +12 rating in 58 games. So far this season, he has a pair of goals and 20 penalty minutes through four games.
His call‑up gives Detroit a boost in size and experience at forward, especially with one of the team's leading hitters in Brandsegg‑Nygård being sent down. For his part, Watson brings not only scoring but the rugged forechecking and physical penalty‑minute presence that has marked his career across both the NHL and AHL.
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