Carter Mazur has the worst luck in the hockey world. On Tuesday, the Detroit Red Wings affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, reported that "Mazur sustained a lower-body injury during practice earlier this week and is being evaluated," and there has been no official update as of Wednesday afternoon.
That's yet another tough setback for Mazur and, regardless if whether this is another long-term injury or not, it seems like every time you turn around, he's getting hurt. Last season, he suffered a concussion in Grand Rapids, but he recovered swiftly enough to make his debut with the Red Wings, only to get hurt in that debut.
The most frustrating part of this is that Mazur looked like he was going to have an epic 2025-26 season. His Elite Prospects profile had him on pace for an 85-point season in 71 games and 57 goals scored if he spent the entire season in Grand Rapids. But sadly, that's now in jeopardy, given his latest ailment.
Even more disheartening was the belief the Red Wings were going to recall Mazur after they sent Michael Brandsegg-Nygard to the Griffins. Mazur had the potential to stick around, too, especially since Brandsegg-Nygard showed signs that he still needed to get used to the North American game in what was an up-and-down nine outings in Detroit.
What the Carter Mazur setback means for the Detroit Red Wings
At some point, you need to start asking yourself if it's time to move on from an injury-prone prospect, even one who boasts the potential to be a middle-six forward in the NHL. But the Wings need players who are going to be healthy enough to stick around for an 82-game slate and can withstand the physical and mental demands the NHL brings.
Mazur hasn't shown this yet, and for the Red Wings, it's even more of a red flag because of all the injuries that have piled up. Lucas Raymond missed time earlier in the season, Patrick Kane has been out for the previous few games, and Nate Danielson was banged up in the preseason, so Mazur is the latest forward in Detroit/Grand Rapids to go down.
This also means the Wings should hold off on trading their veteran forwards, should they still be seriously considering it. Right now, they need as much depth as they can get, because they can't trust any of these players to stay healthy long-term.
Until the forward group in both Detroit and Grand Rapids proves otherwise, it would be in their best interests to hang onto the players they have. Ideally, Mazur won't be out long, and he will move past this latest setback and continue with the tear he has been on.