The Detroit Red Wings announced today that they have called up forwards John Leonard, Sheldon Dries and Eduards Tralmaks from the Grand Rapids Griffins under emergency conditions. This news comes on the heels of the recent updates on Andrew Copp and Dylan Larkin's injuries, both of whom are unlikely to play against the Tampa Bay Lightning tomorrow.
UPDATE: The #RedWings have recalled Sheldon Dries, John Leonard and Eduards Tralmaks from the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins under emergency conditions. pic.twitter.com/SFLihKjvVr
March 11, 2026Leonard and Dries have both had brief stints with the Red Wings earlier this season. If Tralmaks plays tomorrow, it will be his first career NHL game in over 239 professional hockey games. Leonard, Dries and Tralmaks join Griffins teammates Michael Brandsegg-Nygard and Dominik Shine in Detroit, all five of whom played significant time in the AHL this season.
Red Wings relying on Griffins
Five of the 24 players on Detroit's current roster have played substantial time on the Griffins this season. The Griffins are having a fantastic season in the AHL, currently leading the league with a 43-9-3 record. Leonard leads the Griffins in both goals and points with 27 goals and 41 points in 34 games this season. Dries, who serves as the Griffins' top line center, has 37 points in 48 games.
The most intriguing of these names, however, is Eduards Tralmaks. Tralmaks played four games for Team Latvia in the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, drumming up three goals and an assist in four games. Tralmaks, 29, joins the team with international experience and a chance to finally make his debut in the NHL.
Toughest stretch of the season coming for Detroit
With both Larkin and Copp out for the foreseeable future, the Red Wings face the toughest test of their season moving forward. They'll play both the Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning over the next few days before returning home to square off against the Calgary Flames and Montreal Canadiens. Fortunately, the team will have a few days of rest between the Calgary game and Montreal.
Last night's heartbreaking loss left the Red Wings with a lot of questions and not enough answers. If Leonard, Dries and Tralmaks can bring some of the good vibes of Grand Rapids to this roster, there's a chance they can steal a win (or two) while waiting for their top centers to return. Three call ups, however, have some asking questions about the seriousness of Copp and Larkin's injuries -- and whether or not we'll see more movement soon.
The March malaise is nothing if not familiar to the Red Wings. Sooner or later, though, something needs to change. In an ideal world, Leonard, Dries and Tralmaks help to usher in some good luck to a team that's suffered in the injury department.