Friday’s AHL trade deadline came with less fanfare than usual but there was one swap of a player on an NHL contract. The Red Wings announced that they traded defenseman Tory Dello to the Devils in exchange for future considerations.
The 28-year-old is playing on his first NHL contract after inking a one-year, two-way deal with Detroit last summer. Dello had been an AHL regular on the back end for the previous three seasons, two coming with Laval and one with Chicago. The signing was a homecoming of sorts as Dello began his professional career with the Griffins after wrapping up his college career at the University of Notre Dame in 2020.
But playing time has been harder to come by for Dello this year as he has been limited to just 27 outings with Grand Rapids where he had a goal and three assists. He’ll now hope to get more of a regular look with New Jersey’s affiliate in Utica.
Because this trade came after the NHL trade deadline, Dello is not eligible to be recalled to New Jersey for the rest of the season. It’s worth noting that this move puts the Devils at 49 contracts out of the maximum of 50 which could come into play if they’re looking to be active in college free agency. Meanwhile, Detroit’s contract count drops to 45 with the swap.