Ahead of Thursday night’s game against the Boston Bruins, the Detroit Red Wings announced that they had recalled 25-year-old forward Matt Luff from Grand Rapids. After the morning skate, Derek Lalonde confirmed that Luff would skate in place of Oskar Sundqvist, who left Tuesday’s game versus the New Jersey Devils with an undisclosed injury.
After going undrafted, Luff inked a deal within the Los Angeles Kings organization after a strong OHL season with Hamilton. In 2018-19, Luff would appear in 33 games with the Kings, scoring eight goals and three assists.
Last season, Luff split time between Nashville and Milwaukee, playing 23 games with the Predators, scoring three goals and three assists. In 87 career NHL games, Luff has recorded 13 goals and 10 assists.
Signing a one-year, two-way deal as an unrestricted free agent in Detroit this past June, Luff has impressed early on in Grand Rapids. In five games, Luff has scored three goals and four assists, which ranks first on the Griffins.
With injuries to Tyler Bertuzzi and Oskar Sundqvist paired with Jakub Vrana joining the NHL/NHLPA’s player assistance program, there is an opportunity to earn a role for Luff.
Luff had a good showing in the preseason with Detroit, playing with a variety of different players. While Luff has been in the pro ranks for a few years, he still is on the younger side and can play up and down the lineup with his skill and size combination.
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