The Detroit Red Wings have had brutal injury luck over the last few weeks. The Red Wings lost Andrew Copp for the entire season due to injury. There were concerns over the health of young forward Elmer Soderblom, as well. And Erik Gustafsson is likely lost for the regular season with an injury of his own. However, Detroit caught a bit of a break on Monday with the return of Jeff Petry.
Detroit activated Petry off injured reserve, the team confirmed on Monday evening. The veteran defenseman has not played in a game since January 2 against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Red Wings won that contest by the score of 5-4. Petry played a little more than 17 minutes in that contest.
Petry is in his second season with his hometown Red Wings. He recorded six points in 34 games before his injury at the start of the 2025 calendar year. However, the veteran blueliner played a significant role on Detroit’s blueline. Given the injuries, his return is certainly a welcomed sight.
Red Wings hoping to stay in Wild Card race amid Jeff Petry’s return
The Red Wings were beginning to turn things around when Petry went down with an injury. Detroit had two separate six-game winning streaks under new head coach Todd McLellan. One of these happened during the stretch in which Petry went down with his injury.
However, things are not looking great for this team. The Winged Wheel have fallen well behind the Wild Card race in the Eastern Conference. Detroit is currently five points back of the Montreal Canadiens for the East’s final Wild Card spot.
The return of Petry could certainly help matters to some extent. He is battle-tested in the postseason, having skated in nearly 50 Stanley Cup Playoff games. This includes a trip to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ironically, all of those contests have come as a member of the Canadiens.
Petry has struggled at times during his time with Detroit. In saying this, he does represent an upgrade for the Red Wings. If he can bring stability on the backend, the Winged Wheel has a chance to climb back up the standings as the regular season nears its end.
The post Red Wings get massive Jeff Petry boost before Utah HC clash appeared first on ClutchPoints.
