The Detroit Red Wings are looked to someone else to fold into their bottom-six.. While an early season injury sidelined John Leonard, he’s certainly made up lost time with the Grand Rapids Griffins.
While I can hear everyone in the Grandma’s voice from Mulan when she asks why Mulan brought home a sword instead of a man, there is a logical reason for the recall.
Leonard has elements to his game that Detroit desperately needs.
As it stands, Leonard certainly helps add to a young leadership group who is attempting to establish itself. In addition to the leadership, Leonard can be relied upon to have good, reliable shifts. Even though he only had four points total last season, in his 11 game stint with Detroit, Leonard knows how to manage hockey games well. It’s a fine art that this young Red Wings team is trying to grasp. The game against the Tampa Bay Lightning was just the most recent example of letting a game slip away.
Red Wings sit another young player in favor of Leonard
Despite just seeing six games of action, Leonard is already exceeding a point per game in the AHL with seven points (five goals and two assists). That said, four of Leonard’s goals came on the power play.
Any line that Leonard is part of is, at the very least, a good stopgap for the next line. They may not be the most exciting line, but they can help steady the ship if it's starting to roll or drift.
To make room in the lineup for Leonard, Nate Danielson was the odd man out against the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning. It’s another head-scratching call from head coach Todd McLellan. Danielson has looked like he’s faced too many challenges all at once in spurts throughout the year, but it’s seems like odd timing for the swap to be made now.
As frightening as Saturday’s game was, it wasn’t just Danielson’s fault. Uncharacteristic errors from multiple players and underwhelming goaltending led to the Wings’ demise.
While I’ll be the first one tooting Leonard’s horn, it does beg the question, to what end?
Leonard’s game can be a bit more consistent. However, Danielson has to grow accustomed to the NHL level. With the lack of center depth already on the team, the makeup of the lines may raise eyebrows or give off more sighs than fans can count.
According to Natural Stat Trick as of writing this November 3, from 2024-25 through 2026-27 at five-on-five play, Leonard and Danielson have produced similar advanced numbers, but Danielson pulls ahead ever so slightly, with Danielson holding a bit more time on ice and higher outputs.
Player | Time on Ice | Corsi For Percentage (CF%) | Expected Goals For Percentage (xGF%) |
|---|---|---|---|
Leonard | 124:20 | 45.16 | 48.71 |
Danielson | 384:32 | 48.54 | 50.86 |
Neither player has performed exceptionally well, but maybe Leonard will provide some much-needed energy.
What Leonard brings to the table
Leonard's numbers five-on-five against the Panthers were on brand. He played just under 12 minutes and had a CF% of 47.62% and an xGF% of 35.06%. Meanwhile, Danielson's numbers against the Blues at five-on-five were just over 10.5 minutes of ice time with a CF% of 47.06% and an xGF% of 34.80%.
While Leonard is a solid player in his own right, the decision to recall him leaves fans wondering.
Young players like Jesse Kiiskinen and Carter Bear are both having remarkable seasons with the Grand Rapids Griffins. It makes sense to not yo-yo young players (especially, if they think Leonard’s stint is going to be a short one), but fans might prefer to see a young player have a chance in the NHL.
This recall and lineup decision is just another questionable one for the Detroit Red Wings, who have made a sea of endless perplexing choices since June. That said, Leonard is still an effective NHL-level player that should benefit the Wings this season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google