Red Wings re-sign John Leonard to one-year contract extension
A veteran with an elite scoring touch at the minor-league level is sticking around the Mitten for another year.
On Thursday night, the Detroit Red Wings announced that the team has re-signed forward John Leonard to a one-year contract extension. The deal will carry a cap hit of $850,000 through the 2026-27 campaign.
UPDATE: The #RedWings have signed John Leonard to a one-year contract extension.
Leonard came to the Red Wings’ organization last summer, signing a one-year deal with a salary of $775,000. He quickly became an important member of the team’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins. The 27-year-old played a key role in helping the Griffins get off to one of the greatest starts in league history, and has helped the team clinch the top seed in the Western Conference for the upcoming Calder Cup Playoffs.
In 46 games with Grand Rapids, Leonard has scored 32 goals and 21 assists for 53 points. Despite playing a little more than half the season, he leads the team in scoring and sits fourth in the AHL in goals. It’s the second-best single-season output of his career in the ‘A,’ as he potted 61 points last season with the Charlotte Checkers, the Florida Panthers‘ primary affiliate, though that came in a full 82-game campaign.
The Westwood, N.J. native has spent some time with the Red Wings this year. In a series of sporadic call-ups, he has appeared in 11 games, scoring two goals and two assists for four points. His last game with Detroit came on March 16 against the Calgary Flames.
In 81 career NHL games, which include stops with the San Jose Sharks, Nashville Predators and Arizona Coyotes, Leonard has scored eight goals and 13 assists for 21 points. In 295 AHL regular-season contests, he has notched 115 goals and 109 assists for 224 points, with another 15 points in 24 postseason affairs.