Red Wings make a flurry of roster moves

The Detroit Red Wings have recalled forwards Zach Aston-Reese, Jonatan Berggren, and Austin Czarnik on an emergency basis. The team also announced that they’ve placed J.T. Compher (retroactive to 12/5), Dylan Larkin (retroactive to 12/7), and Klim Kostin (retroactive to 12/9) on injured reserve.

Larkin and Compher have operated as Detroit’s top two centers this season, scoring 25 and 19 points respectively in 24 games each. It’s been an especially exciting season for Compher – a University of Michigan alum in his first year with the Red Wings. Detroit represents the first organization that Compher has played for outside of the Colorado Avalanche, despite being originally drafted by the Buffalo Sabres.

Larkin’s injury caught social media attention, as the top centerman was cross-checked in the head during a scrum in front of the net by Ottawa’s Mathieu Joseph. The 27-year-old Larkin is leading Detroit in scoring, scoring the same amount of points as winger Alex DeBrincat in two fewer games. It’s Larkin’s ninth NHL season, with the Michigan native totaling 608 career games and 462 career points over that span.

Among the wave of emergency relief is Zach Aston-Reese, who signed with Detroit in early October after originally signing a professional try-out with the Carolina Hurricanes ahead of the season. Aston-Reese played in 77 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs last season, scoring 10 goals and 14 points. Detroit becomes one of four organizations that the 29-year-old forward has played for in the last four seasons. He’s spent the start of this season in the minors, appearing in 20 games and recording seven points, 16 penalty minutes, and a -2.