Red Wings Sign Chiasson, Lethemon

In addition to two trades as the NHL’s trade deadline neared, the Detroit Red Wings signed two players out of their farm system to one-year NHL deals on Friday.

#RedWings transactions. ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/JOuNcj2E9F

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) March 3, 2023

Both contracts are for the remainder of the 2022-23 season.

Alex Chiasson had been playing on a pro try-out contract with the Grand Rapids Griffins for much of the season.  In 29 games there he’s scored 20 points.  His deal is a one-way deal and he was not announced as having been assigned to the Griffins, so it seems he will join the Red Wings, filling the lineup spot of the departed Oskar Sundqvist.

John Lethemon has served in a goaltending tandem with Sebastian Cossa for the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye this season.  He has a 2.08 goals against average and a .927 save percentage on the season.

Both deals feel a little bit like rewards for toughing it out this season.  Chiasson for having been kept on a PTO for most of the year and Lethemon for having played so strongly with no chance of having been called up.  Both players will be free agents this summer, so these aren’t strictly for future purposes and don’t entirely seem necessary for the current state of the Red Wings.

Additionally, goalie Alex Nedeljkovic was called up to the Red Wings, with Ville Husso nursing an injury that may keep him from playing this weekend.