The Grand Rapids Griffins got their first win from Trey Augustine on Friday, and the Red Wings prospect delivered it the hard way.
Augustine, 21, stopped 27 shots in a 4-2 victory, finally breaking through after an 0-3-1 start in his first four AHL outings. That stretch included two appearances last spring after he signed with Detroit. This time, he held off a late surge from the IceHogs, weathering a 13-shot push to secure the win and earn the No. 3 star of the game.
“The hottest goalie in college hockey, right?” Griffins forward Dylan James said in a postgame interview with Bob Kaser “I wish I could have played him (in college).
Maybe I’d have some chirps for him if I did. He’s shown how he can play out here.
He has been great for us.”
Grand Rapids did its damage in the second period, when James and Carter Bear each scored for the second time this season as part of a three-goal burst. Bear also picked up an assist, giving him his first multi-point game at the AHL level.
The Griffins improved to 4-1-1 and will close the home-and-home with the IceHogs on Saturday afternoon in Grand Rapids. Michal Postava, who has started his pro career 3-0-0 with a 1.34 goals-against average and .950 save percentage, is expected to start in net.
Detroit is very high on Postava, too. If the Red Wings need a goalie because of injury at the NHL level, he’s the one they’re expected to turn to. Goaltending, for now, is the deepest area in the organization’s development pipeline.
In Other News...
Red Wings Prospect Update Puts Two Young Names In The Spotlight
Max Plantes season has hit a brief snag at a time when Detroit has every reason to keep close tabs on its prospects. The reigning Hobey Baker winner and Red Wings prospect is out with an upper-body injury, leaving his status in the week-to-week range while the organization waits for word on when he can get back on the ice.
There was still some good news in the Plante family pipeline, though, as younger brother Victor Plante, another Detroit 2026 draft pick, had a goal and two assists in Minnesota-Duluths 7-1 win over Minnesota, with older brother Zam adding two assists of his own for the Bulldogs. Elsewhere in the system, prospect Adam Levac is serving a four-game suspension in the Ontario Hockey League after a match penalty, another reminder that the Red Wings developmental watch list can change quickly from week to week. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Enter Sharks Matchup With One Lineup Issue Getting Urgent
The Red Wings are heading into their home meeting with the San Jose Sharks with the kind of lineup decision that can linger over a young season. Detroit has already had to juggle injuries and performance questions while sorting through its first seven games, and the coaching staff is still weighing how to keep the roster both competitive now and flexible later. Thats where the conversation around Carter Mazur has started to matter, because his usage has been limited and the team cannot treat every move as a simple paper transaction.
Mazur has appeared in only three of Detroits first seven games, which has added a little urgency to a decision the Red Wings would rather not rush. With the Sharks coming to town, the matchup offers another opportunity to evaluate the bottom of the lineup and the ripple effects of any change, especially when roster management is part of the calculus. For a team still trying to settle into the season, this is the kind of issue that can shape more than one night on the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Lucas Raymond Is Facing An Early Red Wings Question Again
Lucas Raymond is still searching for his first goal of the season as the Red Wings turn from a win over the Philadelphia Flyers to a home date with the San Jose Sharks, and the early-season dry spell has become one of the quieter storylines hanging over Detroits strong start. For a player who has been central to what the Red Wings want to do offensively, the lack of a breakthrough has naturally drawn attention, even if the mood around him has not turned bleak.
Raymond has kept the right posture publicly, and both Alex DeBrincat and Todd McLellan have backed up the idea that the offense will come. McLellans read is that the winger is frustrated more than anything else, but still confident enough to shake it off, which is usually the kind of combination a team would rather see than panic this early in the year. The question now is less about whether Raymond will finish chances and more about when the first one finally opens the door. [Read more 🡒]