Detroit Red Wings

The Daily: Red Wings Sign Chiasson to NHL Contract; Lombardi nets 40th goal of season

Chiasson has played 631 NHL games

Published

1 year ago

March 4, 2023

Bob Duff

Signed to an NHL pact, veteran winger Alex Chiasson is being recalled from AHL Grand Rapids by the Red Wings. Photo by Mark Newman/Griffins

While the NHL trade deadline was reaching a conclusion on Friday, the Detroit Red Wings were quietly signing two members of the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins to NHL contracts.

Longtime NHL veteran forward Alex Chiasson and goaltender John Lethemon were both elevated from AHL to NHL pacts.

Chiasson is joining the Red Wings. He’s been released from his PTO with the Griffins and is no longer listed on the Grand Rapids roster. A veteran of 631 NHL games with the Dallas Stars, Ottawa Senators, Washington Capitals, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks, the 32-year-old right-winger scored 22 goals for the Oilers in 2018-19. His account with the Griffins is showing 9-11-20 totals in 29 games.

Detroit was also recalling former Michigan State Spartan Lethemon from the ECHL Toledo Walleye on Friday and assigning him to the Griffins. Grand Rapids is in need of a goalie after Alex Nedeljkovic given a call up to Detroit.

On Friday, the Griffins lost 5-2 to the Iowa Wild.

Lombardi Nets 40th For Flint

Detroit draft pick Amadeus Lombardi reached the 40-goal plateau on Friday night with the OHL Flint Firebirds.

Goal #40 on the season for @DetroitRedWings draft pick Amadeus Lombardi! pic.twitter.com/wvJbYFHx45

— Flint Firebirds (@FlintFirebirds) March 4, 2023

Selected 113th by the Red Wings in the 2022 NHL entry draft, Lombardi’s tally came during a 4-1 victory over the Windsor Spitfires. He’s already put his signature on an entry-level contract with Detroit.

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

The Red Wings were trading forward Jakub Vrana to the St. Louis Blues
Veteran forward Oskar Sundqvist was also on the move, dealt to the Minnesota Wild
Detroit is recalling goalie Alex Nedeljkovic from the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins
Dylan Larkin is the only remaining member of the young core present when the Red Wings were naming Steve Yzerman GM of the team in 2019
Yzerman indicated that under no circumstances would the Red Wings have been buyers at Friday’s NHL trade deadline

Red Wings Next Game

It’s not a stretch to suggest that the season is on the line for Detroit in Long Island on Saturday afternoon. The Red Wings are facing the New York Islanders (12:20 p.m. ET). They’re five points back of the Islanders for the second Wild Card playoff spot in the NHL’s Eastern Conference.

Hockey Now Network

Islanders: Preparing to face the Red Wings on Saturday, New York Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield says he’s confident the team knows what it has to do in order to secure a playoff spot.

Florida: The Florida Panthers are an NHL rarity. They were declining to make a deal at the NHL trade deadline.

Pittsburgh: Grading the trade deadline moves of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Montreal: The NHL is refusing to allow the Montreal Canadiens to be adding Justin Barron to the AHL Clear Day roster of the Laval Rocket because Barron is currently injured.

Boston: Tyler Bertuzzi will be making his Boston Bruins debut on Saturday afternoon against the New York Rangers.

Philadelphia: For a brief moment, it was appearing that the Philadelphia Flyers were trading James van Riemsdyk to the Red Wings.

Washington: The sell off of impending UFAs by the Washington Capitals was a necessary move for the team’s future.

Colorado: Chris McFarland, GM of the Colorado Avalanche, said he couldn’t find the right fit to do a deadline day deal.