DETROIT, Mich. — The Detroit Red Wings trimmed their defense group Sunday, moving Jacob Bernard-Docker down to the American Hockey League once no other club claimed him on waivers.
The 26-year-old now reports to the Grand Rapids Griffins, the team’s top minor league affiliate. He has not dressed for Detroit this season, opening the year on the injured list and staying out of the lineup after he got healthy.
Roster math drove the move. Adding Andreas Englund left Detroit carrying nine defensemen, at least one more than most NHL clubs want to keep around.
Bernard-Docker appeared in 63 games for the Red Wings last season, putting up one goal and four assists with 87 blocked shots and 66 hits. Ottawa took him in the first round of the 2018 draft, 26th overall, and his NHL career covers 207 games across stops in Ottawa, Buffalo and Detroit.
His two-year contract pays $1.6 million a season and is a one-way deal, so his NHL salary stays the same in Grand Rapids. He stands as the most likely call-up if injuries hit the Detroit blue line.
Section: More Detroit MI sports news
Detroit sports business profiles
Filed under: Detroit MI Sports News
