The Detroit Red Wings have placed another of their top prospects in Europe because of the pandemic.
With COVID-19 rendering the start for hockey seasons in North American uncertain, the Wings have loaned a seventh prospect to a European league. Defenseman Jared McIsaac will play with Finnish team HPK after four years in juniors.
McIsaac, 20, selected 36th overall in the 2018 draft, was supposed to play 2020-21 with the Grand Rapids Griffins, but the AHL season is in question because it needs at least 50% attendance to operate.
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The Wings have loaned multiple players to teams in Europe: Defenseman Moritz Seider, Mannheim (DEL); defenseman Filip Hronek, Mountfield HK (Czech); forward Filip Zadina, HC Ocelari Trinec (Czech); defenseman Gustav Lindstrom and goaltender Filip Larsson, both Almtuna (Swe-2) and forward Mathias Brome, Orebro (SHL).
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Zadina is out with an upper-body injury, but he is not expected to sidelined beyond early October.
Every player on loan can be recalled at the Wings’ discretion, assistant general manager Ryan Martin told the Free Press.
“All our agreements (are) written the same way,” Martin said.
Basically, the Wings can leave a player as long as they want with a European team.
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The NHL is targeting Dec. 1 as the start to next season, but commissioner Gary Bettman has said the league will wait as long as January if needed. The AHL will not start its season before the NHL.
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