The Daily: Red Wings Draftee Leads Walleye Playoff Win; Gruesome Injury

Detroit Red Wings 2020 draft pick Jan Bednar posted 25 saves to lift the Toledo Walleye to a 2-0 win against the Kansas City Mavericks in Game 1 of the ECHL’s Western Conference Finals.

A contract with the Grand Rapids Griffins connects Bednar, 22, to the Red Wings.

This was the Walleye’s first playoff shutout since 2022. Bednar was the game’s No. 1 star in the road win.

Bednar has been rotating with Detroit prospect Carter Gylander, 23, in net during the ECHL playoffs. If the Walleye continue the rotation, Gylander (drafted 191st, 2019) will be in net in Saturday ‘s Game 2 in Kansas City. The series shifts to Toledo for Game 3 Tuesday.

Gylander is 4-1 in the postseason with a 2.81 GAA and a .898 save percentage.  Bednar’s numbers: 5-1, 2.18, .922

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

Former Red Wings prospect Vili Saarijarvi suffered a gruesome injury

German stars are in awe of the Detroit defenseman Moritz Seider at the World Championships.

Paywall story: The Red Wings have approximately $22 million in cap space. What can the they  do in the NHL UFA market on July 1? We answer your questions. To subscribe to DHN+ stories, click here:

Red Wings Extra

Latvian forward Eduards Tralmaks, signed by the Red Wings recently, is tied for 17th in scoring at the World Championships. He has five points in four games. Detroit doesn’t have a history of success with European free agent signees, but Tralmaks is garnering attention in this tournament. He’s a big body with a good shot.

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