Red Wings 2022-23 Wrap-Up: Matt Luff

DETROIT -- Matt Luff began his 2022-23 season with the Grand Rapids Griffins, tallying seven points in just five American Hockey League games before the Detroit Red Wings recalled him on an emergency basis on Oct. 27 as injuries started to pile up.

Luff appeared in seven regular-season games with the Red Wings before his season was paused on Nov. 8., when the 26-year-old forward sustained a significant upper body injury against the Montreal Canadiens.

Luff was on injured reserve from Nov. 9 - Jan. 24, and said being mentally focused helped him navigate a difficult recovery process.

"It's just being able to watch games, sit in there during meetings, being around the guys and just keeping a season routine," Luff said on March 14. "It was hard. I couldn't skate or tie my skates for the first month and a half."

Upon rejoining the Griffins' lineup in late-January, Luff admitted he was hard on himself.

"I started off not how I wanted to," Luff said. "I put a lot of pressure on myself to come back and be up to the standards. But to miss three months and hop into the middle of a season, where everybody is playing the whole time and they're up to par with their system, is a tough situation."

Luff was limited to 28 games with Grand Rapids in 2022-23, but still finished with 25 points on eight goals and 17 assists. The Oakville, Ontario, native also added four points (2-2-4) in nine contests for the Red Wings.

"Any time injury happens sucks," said Luff, who signed a one-year, two-way contract with Detroit last summer. "And to miss time is frustrating, but tip of the cap to the whole training staff here and the training staff down in Grand Rapids to get me ready."

Originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Los Angeles Kings in 2016, Luff has recorded 27 career points in 106 NHL games with the Kings, Nashville Predators and Red Wings since 2018-19. He enters this offseason as an unrestricted free agent.

"Any time you get a chance to play for an NHL team, it's a pretty fun opportunity to prove yourself," Luff said.