Different Griffins Prospects Emerging for Red Wings

Among Grand Rapids Griffins coach Dan Watson’s many skills is knowing how to reboot his system. That’s an essential talent for an American Hockey League coach whose roster regularly moves through a revolving door because of NHL team call-ups.

“Ultimately, it’s important to have a good farm team,” Detroit GM Steve Yzerman said. “We want them to be competitive.”

But the nature of the NHL-AHL relationship, is that you end up hurting the one you love. “Part of having an American League team is it’s there to serve the NHL team,” Yzerman said.

That’s certainly happened this year as the Red Wings called up Marco Kasper very early in the season, and then Elmer Soderblom, Dominik Shine and even Carter Mazur, all of whom were playing at a high level for Grand Rapids.

🚨DANIELSON!!!🚨POWER PLAY GOAL!

Nate Danielson rips in a beauty to give the Griffins a 2-1 lead assisted by Becher and Rafferty!!#GoGRG #LGRW pic.twitter.com/uEyQ1P0ue0

— Hockeytown West Podcast (@HockeytownWpod) March 16, 2025

That undoubtedly played a role in the Griffins’ February struggles (3-7-1). But now it’s March, and the Griffins scored three power play goals Saturday to beat the Rockford IceHogs 3-1 for their fourth win in five games. Now, a new group of Detroit prospects is rising up.

Amadeus Lombardi has five points during his current four-game points streak. Red Wings’ first-round pick Nate Danielson scored his ninth goal of the season. He had four goals in his first 47 games, and now owns five goals and three assists in his last 12. He also has a shootout game-winner in that span.

Defenseman Shai Buium’s scoring has spiked. He has two goals and five assists for seven points in his last 12 games.

The Red Wings appreciate the fact that Watson seems to develop all of the players on his roster. Ondrej Becher (seven goals, eight assists) is also making strides under Watson’s command.

Despite the roller coaster season, Watson now has his team tied with the Milwaukee Admirals for second in the Central Division, one point behind the Texas Stars. Texas does have four games in hand over Grand Rapids.

“We do have the option at the endof the whenever,” Yzerman said, “of reassigning the guys that we’ve made eligible for playoffs in GR. But that’s kind of the way it goes at times in the American League. You see some teams with a really good regular season. All of a sudden they get raided at the end and vice versa. Teams can load up at the end sometimes, and that were pretty mediocre.”