The Detroit Red Wings are bringing up Justin Holl from the minors because Jeff Petry is hurt. Petry left during Thursday’s game, and no one knows exactly when he got injured. He played for nine minutes, had one shot, one hit, and was -1 on the ice.
Petry will probably miss Saturday’s game, so Holl gets another shot with the Red Wings. He didn’t make the team after training camp and was sent to the minors for the first time since 2017-18. Back then, he helped the Toronto Marlies win a championship.
Holl used that success to jump into the NHL with the Maple Leafs in 2018-19 as a backup defender. By 2019-20, he was playing regularly and ended up with 285 games under his belt for Toronto. He scored 11 goals and racked up 82 points but also spent 150 minutes in penalty boxes over six seasons. Last summer, Toronto’s defense changes pushed him out, leading him to sign a three-year deal worth $10.2 million with Detroit in 2023.
Red Wings’ Defensive Dilemma:
Last season with Detroit wasn’t great for Holl; he played in 38 games but only managed five assists and no goals while spending some time in penalties too. Fans might think he’s struggling to find his place again after signing such a big contract just last year.
But this injury doesn’t guarantee Holl will get more playtime; Coach Derek Lalonde is thinking about using seven defenders until Petry is back. Albert Johansson could be part of this mix too—he did well last season in AHL with 21 points from 66 games and has good reach on defense.
Johansson made it through training camp cuts and might play his first NHL game if Lalonde decides to use him now.
What do you think? Should they give Holl another chance or try out Johansson instead?
