Red Wings Make Roster Moves as Illness Hits Locker Room, Holl and Dries Recalled from Grand Rapids
The Detroit Red Wings made a flurry of roster adjustments this week, juggling injuries and a flu bug that’s been making its way through the locker room. On Tuesday, the club announced the recall of defenseman Justin Holl and center Sheldon Dries from AHL Grand Rapids, with defenseman Simon Edvinsson moving to injured reserve retroactive to January 21. And while both call-ups were precautionary, only one lasted more than a day.
Dries, who didn’t dress for Thursday night’s shootout loss to the Capitals, was reassigned to Grand Rapids on Friday morning-less than 24 hours after his recall. The 31-year-old veteran was a healthy scratch in Washington, and his quick return to the Griffins gives their lineup a timely boost ahead of Friday night’s matchup against the Chicago Wolves.
Dries has been a steady contributor in the AHL this season, notching 14 goals and 28 points in 32 games. Despite having over 100 NHL games under his belt, he’s still waiting to make his Red Wings debut.
As for Holl, this recall marks his first NHL look of the season, and it comes after a long wait. The 33-year-old defenseman, who turns 34 this week, cleared waivers back in October and has been anchoring the Griffins’ blue line ever since.
It’s been his first extended stint in the AHL since the 2017-18 season, but he’s made the most of it. Holl has logged 10 points and a +17 rating in 31 games, playing a key shutdown role for a Grand Rapids team that’s off to a blistering 32-5-3 start through 40 games.
Holl’s NHL future is very much in the balance. He’s in the final year of a three-year, $10.2 million deal signed in free agency back in 2023-a contract that never quite lived up to expectations.
In his first season with Detroit, he spent most of the year as an extra defenseman and remained on the NHL roster even after clearing waivers. This year, however, he’s been firmly in the AHL, using his nearly 400 games of NHL experience to stay sharp and show he can still contribute.
With Edvinsson sidelined through the Olympic break due to a lower-body injury, and a flu bug circulating in the room, Holl’s recall gives Detroit some much-needed insurance on the back end. Erik Gustafsson was already serving as the extra defenseman, and he’s likely the first man up if someone can’t go. But if the illness sidelines more than one blueliner, Holl could see his first NHL action in over nine months.
For Holl, every shift from here on out carries weight. His days as a 20-minute-a-night regular in Toronto may be behind him, but a strong showing in spot duty could help him land another one-way NHL deal this summer. He’s not likely to be more than a sixth or seventh defenseman moving forward, but teams always need reliable depth-and Holl has a chance to prove he still fits that mold.
Dries, meanwhile, remains a valuable call-up option. The Michigan native played a career-high 63 games with the Canucks in 2022-23 and continues to be a dependable presence in Grand Rapids. If illness or injury strikes again up front, don’t be surprised to see his name resurface on the NHL roster sheet.
For now, though, Detroit will head into the weekend hoping the flu doesn’t spread any further-and that their reinforcements are ready if it does.