AHL leading scorer recalled before Islanders clash
The Detroit Red Wings they come to a great victory Chicago Blackhawks without Connor Bedard. Despite Chicago being without Bedard, Detroit still got its win solidified itself in the Atlantic Division playoffs. On Sunday night, they made a move that could give them some scoring depth heading into their next game.
The Red Wings recalled forward John Leonard from the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins, the team announced on Sunday night. Accordingly, veteran defenseman Erik Gustafsson was traded to Grand Rapids. Gustafson returns to Grand Rapids after a brief emergency recall on Dec. 11.
Leonard has been on the road a bit in his professional career. He is a former sixth-round pick of the San Jose Sharks in the 2018 NHL Draft. He made his NHL debut with San Jose during the 2020-21 season, scoring three goals and 13 points in 44 games.
Since then, he has played just 26 NHL games, with little impact. However, he has become one of the best forwards in the AHL over the last few seasons. In the 2024-25 season, he scored a career-high 36 goals for the Charlotte Checkers, who are affiliated with the Florida Panthers. Leonard signed with Grand Rapids over the summer.
His addition to the Griffins was huge. Grand Rapids is by far the best team in the AHL this season. In fact, they’ve only lost twice this year, owning a 22-1-0-1 record thus far. Leonard, as mentioned, leads the league with 19 goals in 24 games. He is also third in the league with 29 points.
Leonard is unlikely to provide this level of play for the Red Wings at the NHL level. However, it’s certainly hard to argue that he didn’t at least deserve an appearance. With Mason Appleton hitting injured reserve, Detroit needed an extra hitter. Leonard is set to make his team debut on Tuesday night against the New York Islanders.
2025-12-15 03:52:00
