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‘I don’t want to play in the AHL next year,’ says Detroit’s Callahan

MitchCallahan

Mitch Callahan wants his name on an NHL roster this fall -- be it in Detroit, or elsewhere.

“There’s always been talk that some teams would be interested if I was on waivers, but it all depends on the timing on everything -- I just want to go in and try and make Detroit,” Callahan said on Tuesday, per MLive. “As much as I love Grand Rapids, I don’t want to play in the AHL next year.

“So I’m trying to do everything possible to play with them (Red Wings) or have a good enough camp for someone else to take me.”

Callahan, 24, is another intriguing Detroit prospect that’s spent extensive time grooming in the AHL. He’s played over 200 games for Grand Rapids, won a Calder Cup and was enjoying a great campaign last year -- 38 points in 48 games -- before suffering a season-ending ACL tear in February.

As such, his time in the NHL has been brief. Callahan’s played in just one game for the Red Wings, during the ’13-14 campaign.

This year, that might have to change.

Callahan would require waivers to get sent down to Grand Rapids and, given how things have gone in the past, there’s good reason to think he’d get claimed. Last year, ex-Red Wing Andrej Nestrasil scored seven goals and 18 points in 41 games for Carolina after getting plucked off waivers, and in June was signed to a two-year, $1.825 million extension.

(Like Callahan, Nestrasil was a solid producer in Grand Rapids, scoring 16 goals and 36 points in his only full season with the team.)

All of this puts both the club and player in tough spots. Though Callahan and new Wings head coach Jeff Blashill have a strong relationship from their time together in Grand Rapids, the forward position in Detroit is deep with a glut of guys on NHL deals.

That said, Pavel Datsyuk isn’t expected to be ready for the start of the season and there’s still no clear picture on Johan Franzen’s (concussion) health, so there could be some temporary spots available.