In Friday’s penultimate preseason game, a home dress rehearsal for a mostly NHL squad, Red Wings forward Austin Watson made his mark.
Midway through the first period, star defenseman Moritz Seider got into a scuffle with Senators forward Jan Jenik. Watson intervened, dropping the gloves and dragging Jenik, Ottawa forward Zach MacEwen and a linesman along the ice while throwing punches. It was a message not to mess with Detroit’s stars, even if it cost Watson an ejection, part of 27 minutes in penalties that left the Red Wings shorthanded for seven.
Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
This skirmish, even with the penalties, is what Watson was signed on a professional tryout agreement to do. He’s a heavyweight, a player who engages in the rough stuff so his teammates don’t have to. And Detroit certainly appreciated his toughness.
“I like that. I think it energizes our guys,” Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said after the game. “Obviously, Mo’s a very important player for us. We don’t want him to get in any of those type of situations. And actually, I liked it a lot.”
So too did general manager Steve Yzerman, it seems, who signed Watson to a one-year contract Monday. It’s a two-way deal, not the one-way that Watson said he wanted. But the signing reflects Detroit’s desire to add grit to the lineup, as well as Watson’s ability to bring it.
“For me, being able to bring that element of some physicality, being hard to play against, sticking up for guys when that’s necessary,” Watson said Wednesday of what drew him to Detroit. “I thought that could be a good fit for both sides.”
Watson has been in this position before, having signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning after a successful PTO last season. This process primed Watson for success yet again in turning a tryout into a contract.
“This year, having only played 30 some games (last season), I kind of had a little bit of an expectation that this might be the case,” Watson said Wednesday. “And having gone through it before, I think, has made it a little bit easier.”
But Watson also made life easier on himself by proving that he isn’t a one-dimensional enforcer. He fights, sure, but he also brings other skills to the table. And when liking Watson’s fight and signing him to a contract are two different things, it takes more than hard…