Red Wings' Austin Watson: Heads back to Grand Rapids
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Watson was reassigned to AHL Grand Rapids following Thursday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Maple Leafs.
Watson scored a goal on four shots in the NHL season finale. The 33-year-old had three tallies over 13 contests with the Red Wings this season. He'll close out 2024-25 with the Griffins, who are set for a run in the AHL playoffs.
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Red Wings' Austin Watson: Called up from minors
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Watson was recalled from AHL Grand Rapids on Tuesday under emergency conditions.
Watson has been limited to just eight NHL appearances this year, in which he notched two goals, seven assists and 21 hits while averaging a meager 6:10 of ice time. Unless the Wings can put together a last-minute surge for a playoff spot, the only postseason action coming for Watson this year figures to be with the Griffins.
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Red Wings' Austin Watson: Sent down Thursday
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Watson was reassigned to AHL Grand Rapids on Thursday.
Watson had two goals over six games with the Red Wings despite seeing minimal ice time (5:52 per game) during his emergency recall. Elmer Soderblom (undisclosed) is reportedly a possibility to play Friday, which explains why Watson is being reassigned.
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Red Wings' Austin Watson: Goals in back-to-back games
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Watson scored a goal on two shots and added two hits in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Avalanche.
Watson is making the most of his current stay with the big club -- he's scored twice in three contests since his March 21 call-up. The 33-year-old forward remains in a fourth-line role, so don't expect the offense to last for long. He's added six shots on net, 16 hits and an even plus-minus rating over five outings this season. Watson may stick in the lineup Thursday versus the Senators since Elmer Soderblom (undisclosed) won't be available, but Dominik Shine is also a candidate to play.
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Red Wings' Austin Watson: First goal of season
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Watson scored a goal in Monday's 5-1 win over Utah.
Watson scored for the first time this season, but the 33-year-old veteran has logged just four appearances throughout the 2024-25 campaign with the Red Wings. He shouldn't carry a lot of fantasy appeal for the rest of the regular season.
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Red Wings' Austin Watson: Called up from minors
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Watson was recalled from AHL Grand Rapids on Friday under emergency conditions.
Watson has logged just two games for Detroit this season, with his most recent appearance coming Oct. 30 versus Winnipeg. The decision to call up Watson doesn't bode well for Elmer Soderblom's (undisclosed) availability against the Golden Knights on Saturday.
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Red Wings' Austin Watson: Remaining with Detroit for 2025-26
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Watson signed a one-year, two-way contract extension with the Red Wings on Wednesday.
Watson has spent the vast majority of 2024-25 with AHL Grand Rapids, earning 32 points and 94 PIM over 52 appearances. The Red Wings are clearly satisfied with what he brings in terms of organizational depth and toughness. He also has two games played in the NHL this season but did not earn a point in either contest.
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Red Wings' Austin Watson: Heading back to AHL
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Watson was assigned to AHL Grand Rapids on Thursday.
Watson was recalled by the Red Wings on Wednesday to fill in for Vladimir Tarasenko (illness) against Winnipeg. Watson tallied four hits and a shot on goal while logging 9:06 of ice time, but he should have more consistent opportunities to contribute in the AHL.
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Red Wings' Austin Watson: Up from minors
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Watson was recalled by the Red Wings on Wednesday.
Watson has six assists and 19 PIM in seven appearances with AHL Grand Rapids in 2024-25. He's a veteran of 516 career NHL regular-season outings, recording 60 goals, 118 points and 707 PIM. Vladimir Tarasenko is expected to be a game-time decision for Wednesday's tilt against Winnipeg due to the flu, so Watson might draw into the lineup in a bottom-six capacity if Tarasenko is unavailable.
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Red Wings' Austin Watson: Headed to AHL
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Watson was assigned to AHL Grand Rapids on Tuesday.
Watson being returned to the minors is likely an indication that Christian Fischer (upper body) is nearing a return. Watson registered two hits and two PIM in 4:54 of ice time in Monday's 4-1 loss to the Rangers.
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Red Wings' Austin Watson: Set to play Monday
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Watson will be in action versus the Rangers on Monday once he's officially recalled from AHL Grand Rapids, Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reports
Watson figures to jump into a bottom-six role while Christian Fischer (upper body) is sidelined. In two minor-league games for the Griffins this year, the veteran Watson has generated three assists, seven PIM and a plus-3 rating. Once Fischer is given the all-clear, Watson will almost certainly be returned to the minors.
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Red Wings' Austin Watson: Placed on waivers
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Watson was placed on waivers by the Red Wings on Monday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.
Watson signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Red Wings on Monday, but he'll be waived with the intention of assignment to AHL Grand Rapids if he goes unclaimed. However, the 32-year-old has made at least 33 regular-season NHL appearances in each of the last nine seasons, and he's a strong candidate to be called up if the Red Wings need additional depth at some point.
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Red Wings' Austin Watson: Lands two-way contract
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Watson signed a one-year, two-way contract with Detroit on Monday.
Watson attended Detroit's training camp on a professional tryout before earning his two-way agreement. He produced two goals, two assists, 93 PIM and 85 hits across 33 regular-season contests with Tampa Bay in 2023-24. Watson will serve as a depth forward for the Red Wings, but he might carve out a role on the fourth line as the season progresses.
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Lightning's Austin Watson: Free agency looms
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Watson will be a free agent this offseason.
Watson played in just 33 games this season, scoring two goals and adding two assists. He did put up 93 PIM and 85 hits, but mustered only 17 shots while averaging 7:16 of ice time per game. Watson didn't ink his one-year deal with the Bolts until October, and that doesn't bode well for 2024-25 given his performance. Over his career, he has played in 515 regular-season games and recorded 60 goals, 58 assists, 705 PIM and 1,209 hits.
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Lightning's Austin Watson: Struggling to get out of press box
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Watson has played in just two of Tampa Bay's last 17 games.
Watson returned from a lower-body injury Feb. 8 against the Islanders, picking up one shot and three hits in 8:29 of ice time. Since then, he has struggled to find his way into the lineup, dressing against the Panthers on Feb. 17 and versus the Flyers on March 9. With the Bolts playing to retain a wild-card spot, Watson may be hard-pressed to see the game from ice level down the stretch.
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Lightning's Austin Watson: Taken off IR
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Watson (lower body) has been activated off injured reserve, per the NHL media site.
Watson has missed the team's last four contests due to his lower-body issue but seems to be at least healthy enough to be an option versus the Islanders on Thursday. If the 32-year-old winger does suit up, it would likely be in a bottom-six role that would see Mitchell Chaffee relegated to the press box or even shipped back to the minors.
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Lightning's Austin Watson: Moves to injured reserve
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Watson (lower body) was placed on injured reserve Wednesday, per CapFriendly.
Watson was deemed week-to-week as of Tuesday, so his placement on IR makes sense. It's unlikely he'll be back before the All-Star break. Mitchell Chaffee was called up from AHL Syracuse to take Watson's spot on the roster.
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Lightning's Austin Watson: Scratched all too often
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Watson has been a healthy scratch in six of the Lightning's last eight games.
Watson has played just 17 games this season, and he has one goal to show for it. He does have 45 hits in that span, though, and he sometimes lays out four or five, in the games he does play. But that's not enough to make him roster worthy in fantasy circles.
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Lightning's Austin Watson: Piles up penalty minutes
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Watson racked up 26 PIM in Friday's 8-2 win against the Hurricanes.
Watson didn't score any points, but he was very busy. He was whistled for slashing and abuse of officials in the second period. He also picked up a pair of roughing minors and a game misconduct in the third period. Watson has one goal, 43 PIM and 23 hits over 10 appearances this season.
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Lightning's Austin Watson: Still no points this season
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Watson still hasn't found the scoresheet through seven appearances this season.
He logged just 6:46 of ice time in Saturday's 6-4 win over Edmonton, getting seven PIM. Watson is struggling to get meaningful ice in Tampa Bay. He has skated in just seven of the team's 18 games, and his time has ranged from a high of 8:55 to a low of 3:30. Watson is on the downside of his NHL career.
