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The Detroit Red Wings signed forward Austin Watson to a one-year, two-way contract and placed him on waivers Monday afternoon.
Watson, initially joined the Red Wings on a professional tryout agreement in August, contributing an assist in four preseason games. By signing and waiving him on the same day, the Red Wings can designate him as non-roster, ensuring he doesn’t count against the salary cap for their opening-night roster.
Austin Watson's contract carries a league-minimum cap hit of $775K in the NHL, with a $200K salary in the AHL and a $275K guarantee, according to PuckPedia. As noted by Max Bultman of The Athletic, Watson is expected to begin the season on the NHL roster.
UPDATE: The #RedWings have signed Austin Watson to a one-year, two-way contract. pic.twitter.com/5Gf2a8BDHi
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) October 7, 2024
The Detroit Red Wings made room on their roster by assigning center prospect Marco Kasper to AHL Grand Rapids. While Watson will need to clear waivers if Detroit opts to send him to the minors later, it appears he is set to start the season as their 13th forward.
Watson's career before joining the Detroit Red Wings
Originally drafted 18th overall in 2010 by the Nashville Predators, Watson brings 515 NHL games of experience over 10 seasons. Last season, he played for the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he tallied two goals, four points, and accumulated 93 penalty minutes and a +2 rating across 33 games. However, he did not feature in any playoff games.
The right-handed winger has shown glimpses of offensive potential, with a 14-goal season for the Nashville Predators and 10 goals with the Ottawa Senators in 2021-22. However, he remains primarily a fourth-line option, averaging 10 goals and 19 points per 82 games throughout his career.
Watson also spent parts of six seasons with the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals, where he tallied 132 points (73 goals, 59 assists), posted a plus-10 rating, and accumulated 89 penalty minutes over 234 games.
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At 6’4″ and 204 lbs, Watson remains a strong physical presence on the ice. While his possession metrics don’t suggest that his heavy playing style improves his defensive performance at even strength, he consistently ranks among his team's leaders in hits.
Additionally, Watson has surpassed 100 penalty minutes in a season twice, in 2017-18 and 2022-23.
Austin Watson's major junior career
Hailing from Ann Arbor, Mich., Watson spent four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League, playing for the Windsor Spitfires, Peterborough Petes, and London Knights from 2008-2012. He won OHL championships with Windsor in 2009 and London in 2012.
Throughout his major junior career, Watson amassed 219 points (89 goals, 130 assists) and 164 penalty minutes over 244 games, while also contributing 22 points (12 goals, 10 assists) and 27 penalty minutes in 43 playoff appearances.
Watson won a Memorial Cup championship with Windsor in 2009 while playing under Red Wings Associate Coach Bob Boughner and later received the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award as the OHL Playoff MVP with London in 2012.
In the 2009-2010 season, he played for the U.S. National Team Development Program, where he tallied six points (four goals, two assists) and accrued 33 penalty minutes in nine games. On the international stage, Watson served as an alternate captain for Team USA at the 2022 IIHF World Championship, recording one assist and 27 penalty minutes across 10 games.
