Mrazek to the Minors

On Monday, the Detroit Red Wings sent goaltender Petr Mrazek back down to Grand Rapids in the AHL, this after getting back their top two goalies back from injury over the last week and a bit. Mrazek was called up to sub behind Jimmy Howard, when Jonas Gustavsson went down and then when Howard took a knock and went out of the lineup, Mrazek stepped in and figured in mightily in the absence of the two ahead of him in the depth chart.

This season, Mrazek has made 20 appearances in the Detroit net, winning 13 games, 1 by shutout, picking up 28 pool points for his troubles.  This has him ranked 192nd overall in pool scoring, after Monday night's action, but depending on the health of Howard and Gustavsson moving forward, that may be all he gets from here on in.

There was plenty of risk in taking Mrazek at the Week Eighteen Waiver Draft, especially with the news that Howard was going to be back, while Gustavsson was just turning a corner as well.  For Scott, that was a risk he decided he had to take, as his top 10 team needed an extra boost to be a money team and an increase in goaltending was a good way to get that.

Unfortunately for Scott, the return of Howard came a little too quickly and all he could get was two periods out of Mrazek before his demotion, as Mrazek got shelled in his only appearance in Week Nineteen and that was it.  Assuming that Mrazek will spend the rest of the season in the AHL, this could be a losing venture, especially since Scott dropped Alex Stalock in San Jose and Antti Niemi's name has flared up in trade rumours.

An updated list of injuries can be found here.