Red Wings place Murphy, Lashoff on waivers

As the Detroit Red Wings attempt to trim their roster down to 23 skaters ahead of the 2021-22 season, two of their training camp attendees showed up on the National Hockey League’s waiver wire Thursday, as the club has placed defencemen @Ryan Murphy and @Brian Lashoff on waivers.

Murphy, 28, and Lashoff, 31, both signed one-year deals with the Red Wings during the off-season and were competing for reserve roles on the team’s blue line. Now, the other 31 franchises will have an opportunity to claim them over the next 24 hours.

Here are all 12 skaters who were placed on waivers Thursday afternoon, courtesy of Chris Johnston from The Toronto Star:

If Murphy and Lashoff clear waivers, they’ll likely be assigned to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League, where they’ll be expected to open the regular season.

Following this transaction, Detroit’s roster count currently sits at 49 skaters, although additional cut-down moves are expected in the coming days. So fans should continue monitoring the waiver wire over the next week or so.

Before returning to North America last season, Murphy spent time with Dinamo Minsk of the Kontinental Hockey League, appearing in just 12 games, recording two goals and eight points. Prior to crossing back over the pond, the right-hander signed an American Hockey League contract with the Henderson Silver Knights – Las Vegas’ AHL affiliate.

While serving as an assistant captain, the former first-round selection made a solid impression with his new team and enjoyed one of the top statistical performances of his career, finishing with five goals and 27 points over just 37 games.

Thanks to this impressive showing, Murphy ultimately earned the Eddie Shore Award, naming him as the AHL’s top defenceman of the year.

Lashoff has played his entire professional hockey career in the Red Wings organization, dating back to the 2009–10 season.

The Red Wings will continue their pre-season schedule on Thursday against the Pittsburgh Penguins at 7:30 pm ET, which will see @Tyler Bertuzzi make his highly-anticipated exhibition debut.