Red Wings assign Jimmy Howard to Grand Rapids for conditioning, recall Brian Lashoff

The Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday assigned goaltender Jimmy Howard to the Grand Rapids Griffins for conditioning and recalled defenseman Brian Lashoff from the Griffins.

In 14 appearances for the Red Wings this season, Howard is 2-11-1 with a 3.94 goals against average and a 0.887 save percentage. He has not played since sustaining an injury during Detroit’s 6-0 loss to Toronto on Nov. 27. He ranks last in the NHL in goals above replacement (-3.8) and wins above replacement (-0.7), according to Evolving-Hockey. Howard hasn’t been his steady self this season, but a porous defense in front of him certainly should account for some of the blame.

In his last appearance as a Griffin on March 7, 2017, Howard posted 21 saves in a 3-0 win at San Antonio.

A conditioning stint can last up to 14 consecutive days, per the CBA, so fans may be able to see Howard at Van Andel Arena on Dec. 26 when the Griffins host the Milwaukee Admirals. But with nearly a week between the Griffins’ last road game and Dec. 26, it seems unlikely.

Lashoff, 29, has posted six points (2-4—6), a plus-two rating and 20 penalty minutes in 25 games for the Griffins this season. The 6-foot-3, 221-pound blueliner has skated in 478 regular season games for Grand Rapids — the second-most in franchise history — since debuting with the club during the 2008-09 campaign and has tallied 104 points (24-80—104), a plus-23 rating and 247 PIM.

One of only three players to be a part of both the 2017 and 2013 Calder Cup championships, Lashoff has produced 20 points (5-15—20), a plus-three rating and 34 PIM in 75 Calder Cup Playoff contests, which also places second in the club’s record book.