The Detroit Red Wings waive six players on Wednesday as they narrow down their roster before heading into their preseason-ending series versus the Maple Leafs.
On Wednesday, the Detroit Red Wings placed Austin Watson, Dominik Shine, Ian Mitchell, John Leonard, William Lagesson, and Sheldon Dries on waivers, just days before the formal start of the regular season. The decision, coming at a critical juncture, appears to be driven largely by a need to clear roster spots, manage salary‑cap flexibility, and preserve depth options for both the NHL and AHL levels.
By placing these players on waivers, Detroit not only opens up opportunities for younger or more versatile players to step into the lineup but also ensures that, if unclaimed, these veterans can be assigned to their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids, maintaining experienced depth in the system
Austin Watson
The former longtime Nashville Predators winger has been a frequent shuttle between Detroit and Grand Rapids. In the 2024–25 season, he appeared in just 13 NHL games for the Red Wings, scoring three goals and logging 17 penalty minutes as a known gritty player. In the AHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins, Watson was a difference maker with 19 goals and 23 assists for the third-most points on the team with 42 and leading the team with 112 penalty minutes.
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Dominik Shine
Shine enters the final season of a two-year, two-way deal with the Red Wings and has spent the last two seasons as an integral role as part of the Griffins leadership group in the AHL. With a team full of young prospects, the 32-year-old veteran has remained a steady producer, notching 14 goals and 32 assists for 46 points during the 2024–25 season. His return to Grand Rapids will see likely see the Michigan native be named an assistant captain for the third straight season.
Ian Mitchell
Mitchell had his moments during the preseason with some standout defensive plays as well as a surprising amount of offense with a pair of assists and five shots on goal through three preseason games. In recent years, Mitchell has split time between the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks organizations, appearing in 110 NHL games and tallying four goals and 15 assists for 19 points. He’s found more success at the AHL level, where he’s posted 23 goals and 70 assists for 93 points in 156 games. Still just 26, Mitchell has time for a late breakout, but he'll need to keep proving himself in the AHL to earn another shot at the NHL.
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John Leonard
Leonard had a standout AHL season in 2024–25 with the Charlotte Checkers, leading the club with 36 goals and 61 points (36 goals, 25 assists) and adding a +21 rating in 72 games. He continued his hot stretch into the preseason scoring both of Detroit's goals in their 3-2 preseason loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins last Friday. At 27, Leonard may get another shot at NHL minutes in the future but his best chance is being a late career breakout after playing 70 NHL games in his career so far with the San Jose Sharks, Nashville Predators and Arizona Coyotes and failed to put up impressive numbers with six goals and 11 assists for 17 points. Leonard will be a player to monitor but probably no more than an AHL contributor.
That's ✌️ for Leonard pic.twitter.com/8KJSrJMV17
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 26, 2025
William Lagesson
The 29-year-old journeyman defenseman has long been a depth defenseman toggling between the NHL and AHL. Lagesson played just a pair of games for Detroit last season while spending most of his time in the AHL. In 2024–25, he posted three goals and six assists for nine points and a +13 rating in 23 AHL games. Lagesson’s journey through the NHL has included stops with the Edmonton Oilers, who drafted him in the fourth round of the 2014 NHL Draft, as well as the Toronto Maple Leafs and Anaheim Ducks.
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Sheldon Dries
Dries has spent the bulk of his career in the AHL, gradually carving out a role as a reliable depth forward. In 2024–25, he notched 19 goals and 27 points with a +6 rating over 48 games for Grand Rapids, generating strong interest within the Red Wings organization. The year prior, while part of the Vancouver Canucks system, he tallied an impressive 29 goals and 23 assists for 52 points in 55 games with their AHL affiliate in Abbotsford. Though primarily an AHL presence, Dries has seen NHL action in a fourth-line role, appearing in 122 NHL games but contributing just 26 points.
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