Confirmed with Link: Austin Watson joins Red Wings for training camp PTO

[ShanahanMan]

Austin Watson expected to sign a two-way deal

https://x.com/i/web/status/1843087627542765989

 

[ShanahanMan]

Marroon was signed by TBL because the team was too soft and wound up winning 3 cups in a row.

Knights had Reaves in their first Finals run, Kolesar for the Cup win. Florida is kinda goofy because their skills guys lead the team in penalties. If Copp and Compher could fight then Watson would have no use. There are a few guys on the team that will stand up for himself, but Larkin is the only one who stands up for his teammates. It's pretty pathetic.

Fair points I suppose. It just seems like we’ve HAD those guys a lot in the past. Witkowski, Mcalrath, Tootoo, and even Kostin last year. None of the guys seemed to have an impact on having a better team and in fact, I feel like they all made us worse. It’s why we let all of them go.

 

[Gniwder]

Fair points I suppose. It just seems like we’ve HAD those guys a lot in the past. Witkowski, Mcalrath, Tootoo, and even Kostin last year. None of the guys seemed to have an impact on having a better team and in fact, I feel like they all made us worse. It’s why we let all of them go.

Aside from Tootoo, they're all AHL players. I'd prefer someone better than Watson in terms of hockey AND fighting.

Stevie seems like the kinda guy that buys an expensive car and puts on cheap wheels because he ran out of money, lol. Cheap wheels are better than no wheels, I suppose.

 

[odin1981]

I’ll bite on this just because I’m genuinely curious. Who did the Panthers or Knights have who’s sole purpose was to enforce and made a genuine impact for their cup run?

Gudas for Florida easily, don't know much about Vegas though.

 

[norrisnick]

Gudas for Florida easily, don't know much about Vegas though.

Gudas was in Anaheim last season.

 

[odin1981]

Gudas was in Anaheim last season.

But played for Fla for like 5-8 years before last season. He was their heavyweight for a long time.

 

[AlwaysSunnyInDetroit]

Aside from Tootoo, they're all AHL players. I'd prefer someone better than Watson in terms of hockey AND fighting.

Stevie seems like the kinda guy that buys an expensive car and puts on cheap wheels because he ran out of money, lol. Cheap wheels are better than no wheels, I suppose.

GUYS THAT ARE GOOD AT HOCKEY AND PHYSICAL PLAY AND FIGHTING ARE TOP 5 PICKS AND COST 8 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR AND ARE NEVER AVAILABLE IN FREE AGENCY OR WAIVERS

WATSON IS GOOD AT WHAT HE DOES AND THE AMOUNT HE IS PAID FOR

 

[norrisnick]

But played for Fla for like 5-8 years before last season. He was their heavyweight for a long time.

And when Florida made it to the Final in 2023, he wasn't seen as a necessary piece to get them over the hump.

 

[odin1981]

And when Florida made it to the Final in 2023, he wasn't seen as a necessary piece to get them over the hump.

His job was to keep the stars/kids safe but got a little too long in the tooth and expensive for a vet heavyweight. But it doesn't take anything away from him being on the roster for over half a decade and 1-2 conference finals.

They where smart to let him sign elsewhere when they did. Those type of guys don't play well much past 30-32'sh. He was their heavyweight for quite awhile.

 

[Gniwder]

GUYS THAT ARE GOOD AT HOCKEY AND PHYSICAL PLAY AND FIGHTING ARE TOP 5 PICKS AND COST 8 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR AND ARE NEVER AVAILABLE IN FREE AGENCY OR WAIVERS

WATSON IS GOOD AT WHAT HE DOES AND THE AMOUNT HE IS PAID FOR

THERE ARE PLAYERS THAT FALL IN BETWEEN 8 MILLION DOLLAR PLAYERS, AND WATSON WHO IS GONNA MAKE LEAGUE MIN. A LOT OF ROOM THERE. IN FACT, EVERY ENFORCER MAKES MORE THAN WATSON BUT LESS THAN $8M.

 

[AlwaysSunnyInDetroit]

THERE ARE PLAYERS THAT FALL IN BETWEEN 8 MILLION DOLLAR PLAYERS, AND WATSON WHO IS GONNA MAKE LEAGUE MIN. A LOT OF ROOM THERE. IN FACT, EVERY ENFORCER MAKES MORE THAN WATSON BUT LESS THAN $8M.

BUT NOT GOOD AT HOCKEY

 

[norrisnick]

His job was to keep the stars/kids safe but got a little too long in the tooth and expensive for a vet heavyweight. But it doesn't take anything away from him being on the roster for over half a decade and 1-2 conference finals.

They where smart to let him sign elsewhere when they did. Those type of guys don't play well much past 30-32'sh. He was their heavyweight for quite awhile.

He fought 14 times with Florida. 6 times his opponent picked up an Instigator penalty in the process. Twice he fought JT Miller and Twice he fought Yanni Gourde. A more accurate representation of Gudas is he's a shit disturber, not an enforcer.

 

[Henkka]

So Snively goes down and Watson takes his spot as 13th forward.

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

I don't really see Watson's value to this team? Enforcer? That's an old school type of player and a waste of a spot IMO, what am I missing?

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

Austin Watson expected to sign a two-way deal

https://x.com/i/web/status/1843087627542765989

Why? Nevermind he is from Michigan.........

 

[ricky0034]

I don't really see Watson's value to this team? Enforcer? That's an old school type of player and a waste of a spot IMO, what am I missing?

don't take my joking conspiracy theory too seriously but - he's a Kasper blocker

he's like one of those stickers people put over nudity in a picture or whatever where technically it blocks it but everyone knows it's still there

having a guy like Watson signed lets you have that 13th guy so you can turn "just shuffle a 4th line guy out of the lineup and move everyone down to get Kasper in there" into "YOU DON'T WANT TO WAIVE BERGGREN OR VELENO DO YOU?????"

 

[SirloinUB]

WATSON IS NOT KEEPING KASPER DOWN

Yup. Berggren and Veleno are the ones blocking Kasper.

 

[lhsgolf19]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1843299735479931111

Signs 2-way deal

 

[sepster]

Love it.

And, for what it's worth, word from the room is that many of the players kept telling the assistant coaches that they wanted Watson on the team.

 

[datsyukfan]

Love it.

And, for what it's worth, word from the room is that many of the players kept telling the assistant coaches that they wanted Watson on the team.

Ya cause half of them knew if Marco was up that he would take their spot in lineup based on play

 

[Coach Reggie Dunlop]

Pretty dissapointed overall. Watson isn’t necessarily bad, infact I overall probably liked his play, but I still don’t see what value it brings in signing him. His whole role would be as a deterrent, but he’s not here because we need him for his hockey skills. Which is what I think makes me the most mad about the roster construction, is they say they want to ice the most competitive roster and then they do stuff like this. We have like 4 guys who have the skill level equivalent to being the 13th forward. The FO lie and make things up as they go. Does Watson being on our team improve us over say kasper? Not a chance, not even a little. Why we keep doing this every year, is beyond me. And it’s not anything specific against Watson, but it just doesn’t make much sense to me when we do the same things every year.

 

[Henkka]

- Mathieu Joseph signed to Western Conference - Great
- Austin Watson signed to Detroit - Great

Both of these guys did cause some injuries to us. It's time for others to suffer.

 

[SCD]

But played for Fla for like 5-8 years before last season. He was their heavyweight for a long time.

3 seasons with Florida

 

[saska sault]

2 way deal, can't complain. Good soldier to have on our side this season, if and when needed.

 

[jaster]

2 way deal, can't complain. Good soldier to have on our side this season, if and when needed.

Yep. And I'd rather have him on the roster than Justin Holl.