Carter Mazur, Marco Kasper and the Red Wings fixing their AHL affiliation

Detroit made changes to the AHL staff after failing to deliver during the 2022-23 season.

There’s going to be an organizational shift in the Detroit Red Wings development model next season.

Last season, the Grand Rapids Griffins finished last in the AHL’s Central Division and 30th in the AHL with 64 points. And with the AHL’s new playoff format — which features play-in rounds — it should be more likely to make the playoffs (23 teams) than miss (nine teams).

The Griffins’ failure cost Ben Simon his job, his contract wasn’t renewed and his assistant coaches were also given their walking papers.

In one of the least surprising moves of the offseason, Dan Watson was promoted from the head coach of the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye to the AHL bench in Grand Rapids.

Detroit coach Derek Lalonde worked in Toledo, is close with Watson, and throughout his first season in Detroit, Lalonde would praise the Walleye coach. Multiple times stating that Watson was too good to be coaching in the ECHL.

When it became clear that Grand Rapids wasn’t going to make the playoffs, it became clear that Simon would be out and Watson — if he wanted the job — would be getting the call-up.