Detroit made some roster moves Wednesday, calling up forward Taro Hirose and defenseman Gustav Lindstrom from the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Hirose has split time between the Red Wings and the Griffins this year, struggling to maintain the form he showed at the end of last season. Since he started with the Griffins, he’s produced 19 points in 22 games (0.86 points per game).
Lindstrom has spent the entire season with the Griffins, and this will be his first look at the NHL level. Drafted 38th overall in 2017, the team has seemed to be happy with the way he’s developed so far. He’s scored 5 points in 45 games this season, so fans shouldn’t expect his to provide much offense at the NHL level.
The two were called up because forward Frans Nielsen and defenseman Mike Green were placed on Injured Reserve, with the latter retroactive to January 20th.
Detroit next plays Thursday night at Buffalo. The press release from the team follows:
RED WINGS RECALL TARO HIROSE AND GUSTAV LINDSTROM
… Frans Nielsen and Mike Green Placed on Injured Reserve …
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DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today recalled left wing Taro Hirose and defenseman Gustav Lindstrom from the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins. Additionally, the Red Wings placed center Frans Nielsen and defenseman Mike Green (retroactive to Jan. 20) on injured reserve.
Hirose, 23, has split his first professional campaign between the Red Wings and Griffins. In 23 games at the NHL level, he has totaled seven points (2-5-7) and six penalty minutes, bringing his career NHL totals to 14 points (3-11-14) and eight penalty minutes in 33 games, having joined the Red Wings late in the 2018-19 season as a free agent from Michigan State University. The 5-foot-10, 162-pound winger earned in assist in his first five games with Detroit, matching Dylan Larkin’s franchise record for the longest point streak to begin an NHL career before scoring his first NHL goal on March 31, 2019 against the Boston Bruins. Since joining the Griffins on Dec. 3, Hirose has picked up 19 points (4-15-19) and 10 penalty minutes in 22 games. He sits sixth overall in team scoring, while ranking second on the club in points-per-game (0.86).
A native of Calgary, Alberta, Hirose appeared in 106 games at Michigan State from 2016-19, totaling 116 points (33-83-116) and 39 penalty minutes. As a junior in 2018-19, Hirose led the nation in points (50), points-per-game (1.47), assists (35), multi-point games (15) and three-point games (9) en route to being named the Big Ten Player of the Year. Prior to his collegiate career, Hirose played two seasons (2014-16) with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks of the British Columbia Hockey League where he totaled 121 points (33-88-121) in 116 games. During the 2015-16 campaign with the Silverbacks, he ranked 13th in the BCHL in points (71) and fourth in assists (56), both of which led the team. Hirose also led the Silverbacks in scoring (18-32-50) in his first season with the club (2014-15), while route to being named the team’s Rookie of the Year.
Lindstrom, 21, has skated in 45 games with the Griffins in his first season in North America, totaling five points (0-5-5) and 26 penalty minutes. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound defenseman made his AHL debut for Grand Rapids on Oct. 5 at Chicago and registered his first point with the team with an assist on Nov. 2 at Manitoba. In 2018-19, Lindstrom won a Swedish Hockey League championship with Frolunda HC, notching six points (3-3-6) and 50 penalty minutes in 40 regular-season games and skating in six postseason games. Frolunda also captured a championship in the Champions League tournament, in which Lindstrom ranked second among the team’s defensemen with six points (2-4-6) in 11 games.
Originally drafted by the Red Wings in the second round (38th overall) of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Lindstrom has skated in 172 professional games between the AHL, SHL and second-tier Swedish Allsvenskan. In 87 games with Almtuna IS in the Allsvenskan between 2016-18, he totaled 23 points (8-15-23) and 60 penalty minutes. The Ostervala, Sweden, native also picked up a silver medal at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship, notching one assist and eight penalty minutes in seven games. Prior to turning professional, Lindstrom played for Almtuna’s junior teams, totaling 20 points (9-11-20) and 16 penalty minutes at the under-20 level and 51 points (20-31-51) and 68 penalty minutes in 59 games in the under-18 ranks.
