Red Wings recall Ben Street from Grand Rapids Griffins

AHL journeyman Ben Street has been recalled by the Grand Rapids Griffins in a surprising move. Each team has been given four call ups and this is the team using one of them.

Street is having himself a nice year, nearly hitting a point per game with the team. This can likely be seen as a reward as other players in the Griffins’ line up are equally deserving of such a distinction.

While Street may not seem like much, this could be a fun experiment for the Wings as they try to close the season out. They don’t have anything to lose and they don’t want to start the professional clock of some of the younger players on the team.

Nothing at the end of the year is an exact science and the team is throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what will stick. There are worse strategies to employ. At 30 years of age it is extremely unlikely that he will stay with the team long-term.

For him, he should worry about his play on the ice and use it as an audition both for the league and for the Red Wings. He doesn’t know where his next job is going to take him just yet.

With news that Frans Nielsen may be out with an injury, Street could end up filling in much higher in the lineup than originally anticipated. This will be a good opportunity for both sides to prove themselves. Street just doesn’t seem like the most obvious person to fill such a role. Who knows, maybe he’ll prove everyone wrong.