DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today recalled right wing Evgeny Svechnikov from the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins under emergency conditions.
Svechnikov, 20, has appeared in 68 games with the Griffins this season and ranks among team leaders with 18 goals (4th), 26 assists (T3rd), 44 points (4th), 56 penalty minutes (T3rd), five power-play goals (T6th), five game-winning goals (T2nd) and 165 shots (3rd). The first-year forward leads all Grand Rapids rookies in points and ranks among the top AHL rookies in goals (T10th), points (T6th), game-winning goals (T1st) and shots (2nd). Svechnikov began the season with five points (2-3-5) in his first 20 games, but has racked up 26 points (8-18-26) in his last 30 games, including a team-best 12-game point streak from Jan. 20-Feb. 17. The 6-foot-3, 205-lb., winger also picked up one assist in two AHL playoff games in 2015-16, joining the Griffins following the conclusion of his major-junior career.
Originally drafted by Detroit in the first round (19th overall) of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia, native spent two seasons with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (2014-16), notching 157 points (64-93-157), a plus-45 rating and 167 penalty minutes in 105 games and adding 21 points (5-17-21) in 20 postseason games. Svechnikov, a member of the 2015 QMJHL All-Rookie Team, also represented his country at the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship, winning a silver medal. Prior to coming to North America, Svechnikov made his professional debut by playing in three games with Ak Bars Kazan in the Kontinental Hockey League in 2013-14. He also picked up eight points (3-5-8) in 12 games at the 2013 and 2014 IIHF World Under-18 Championships and tied for the team lead in points in 2014.
Scuttlebutt is Drew Miller has the flu, making way for the “emergency conditions” under which the Wings can get away with not burning one of their call-ups during the last week of the season. Diggers are reporting Svechnikov is expecting to make his debut tonight. We should have more information in Gameday Updates about where he’ll be slotting. This author’s hope is that he’s standing in for Mantha, as that’s basically the expectation for the kid anyway. Might as well give him the reps in a scoring role.
Update: yay!
Blashill says Svechnikov will play with Larkin and Abdelkader
— Helene St. James (@HeleneStJames) April 3, 2017
