The Red Wings have added some extra depth on the back end heading into their game tonight against Los Angeles, announcing (Twitter link) the recall of blueliner Brogan Rafferty from AHL Grand Rapids. Detroit had two open roster spots so no further moves were needed to bring him up.
The 28-year-old is in his first season in Detroit’s organization after signing a two-year, two-way deal with them back in July. Rafferty has exclusively played with the Griffins this season and is having a quieter year by his standards offensively, notching just 13 points in 33 games. This comes on the heels of a 51-point effort with AHL Coachella Valley last season, helping the Firebirds reach the Calder Cup Finals.
Rafferty has three career NHL appearances under his belt with Vancouver, the most of recent of which came back in the 2020-21 campaign where he had an assist in his lone game. Detroit now has eight blueliners on its active roster which is a bit surprising but it’s possible that his addition is a hedge against someone potentially being unavailable to take on the Kings.