The Red Wings sent Jacob Bernard-Docker to the Grand Rapids Griffins on Sunday, just months after signing him to a two-year, $3.2 million extension in March. This move comes a day after Detroit put him on waivers with the intention of assigning him to the AHL, and Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet confirmed he cleared. It’s a huge play that takes Detroit off the nine defensemen they’d been carrying and shifts a big chunk of that $1.6 million cap hit to the AHL.
That $375K Cap Hit Is The Price of Depth for Detroit
Let’s talk about the money, because it’s wild. Bernard-Docker signed that two-year extension worth $3.2 million, a $1.6 million AAV, back in March. By sending him down, Detroit clears up their overcrowded blue line and, critically, opens up cap space. With him in Grand Rapids, his cap hit for the big club is only $375,000. Why? Because $1.225 million of it is buried. The league minimum for 2026-27 is $850,000, so the maximum relief a team can get is that minimum plus $375,000, which puts the ceiling at $1.225 million. Subtract that from his $1.6 million AAV, and Detroit is still on the hook for $375,000. It’s not zero, but it’s a lot less, and it gives the front office more room to make deals, which is exactly what we, as fans, want to see. This is fantastic news for both the Red Wings and the Griffins, by the way. Grand Rapids gets a bolster for its blue line after losing Anton Johansson and William Wallinder to the Wings, and Detroit now has a proven depth defenseman ready to go if injuries hit. The Griffins are rolling too, off to a 4-1-1-0 start.
The Eight D-Men Who Are Sticking Around
Bernard-Docker’s assignment brings Detroit’s defense group down to eight guys: Ben Chiarot, Andreas Englund, Justin Faulk, Albert Johansson, Anton Johansson, Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Moritz Seider, and William Wallinder. This move sends a clear message to Anton Johansson and William Wallinder: the team is confident in what they’ve shown so far! That’s huge for Wallinder especially, because he’s no longer waiver-exempt. If Detroit wanted to send him back down, he’d have to clear waivers, and there’s no way that happens. Both rookie defensemen have been solid, playing well and even lighting the lamp with their first NHL goals this month. Their defensive play has been just as good.
The Missing Piece Detroit Fans Are Screaming For
So, what are fans hoping this move *really* means? We’re all eyeing Simon Edvinsson. We want this to signal that Detroit and Edvinsson are getting closer to signing terms, and that he could join the team again real soon. Edvinsson is still an unsigned restricted free agent, meaning he can’t even touch NHL ice until he has a contract. And when he does sign, he’s going to need a roster spot. Our blue line has been decent, sure, but Moritz Seider and both the second and third pairings would get a massive boost from an Edvinsson return. It would make our defensive depth so much stronger and force Detroit to make tougher decisions on defense, which is honestly the best kind of problem to have. Getting him signed is still the top priority, though, before some rival team swoops in with an offer sheet and complicates everything.
This team needs to make moves, and this opens the door. What’s next? You know we’ll be watching every single play.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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