DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today assigned forwards Nate Danielson and John Leonard, and goaltender Michal Postava to the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins.
Danielson, 22, has skated in 13 games with the Red Wings during the 2026-27 season, recording two assists, two penalty minutes, six shots and 14 hits in 10:52 average time on ice. The 6-foot-2, 196-pound forward made his NHL debut with the Red Wings in 2025-26, logging seven points (2-5-7) and four penalty minutes in 28 games. Danielson also tallied 15 points (3-12-15), a plus-seven rating and four penalty minutes in 18 games with the Griffins during the 2025-26 campaign. Danielson spent the entire 2024-25 season with the Griffins, collecting 39 points (12-27-39), a plus-four rating and 33 penalty minutes in 71 games, in addition to one goal and nine penalty minutes in three Calder Cup Playoff matchups. Selected by Detroit in the first round (9th overall) of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, Danielson has registered nine points (2-7-9) and six penalty minutes in 41 games with the Red Wings. Danielson has also notched 54 points (15-39-54), a plus-11 rating and 37 penalty minutes in 89 AHL games with the Griffins.
Prior to turning professional, Danielson racked up 217 points (83-134-217), a plus-33 rating and 122 penalty minutes in 199 games with the Western Hockey League’s Brandon Wheat Kings and Portland Winterhawks from 2020-24. He also totaled 27 points (8-19-27) and 18 penalty minutes in 24 postseason contests, helping the Winterhawks reach the 2024 WHL Championship Series. Danielson earned a place on the WHL East Division Second All-Star Team in 2022-23 after leading the Wheat Kings in goals (33), assists (45), points (78), power play goals (13), power play points (38) and shorthanded goals (3) in 68 games. The Red Deer, Alta., native represented Team Canada at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship, logging three points (1-2-3) and a plus-two rating in five appearances.
Leonard, 28, has played in three games with the Red Wings during the 2026-27 season, logging eight shots and four hits in 11:14 average time on ice. The 5-foot-11, 192-pound forward has also recorded seven points (5-2-7) and two penalty minutes in six games with the Griffins this season. Leonard spent part of the 2025-26 season with the Red Wings, tallying four points (2-2-4) in 11 games. Leonard also skated in 47 games with the Griffins in 2025-26 and ranked among the team leaders with 33 goals (1st), 21 assists (T5th), 54 points (1st), five power play goals (T3rd), five shorthanded goals (1st), eight game-winning goals (T1st), 161 shots (1st) and a 20.5 shooting percentage (T1st). He earned a place on the 2025-26 AHL Second All-Star Team, marking his second-consecutive Second Team selection. Additionally, Leonard notched five points (1-4-5) and two penalty minutes in eight Calder Cup Playoff games with the Griffins. Originally selected by the San Jose Sharks in the sixth round (182nd overall) of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, Leonard has registered 21 points (8-13-21) and four penalty minutes in 84 games with the Sharks, Nashville Predators, Arizona Coyotes and Red Wings since 2020-21. Leonard has also compiled 232 points (121-111-232) and 80 penalty minutes in 302 AHL games with the San Jose Barracuda, Milwaukee Admirals, Tucson Roadrunners, Charlotte Checkers and Griffins. He is the older brother of Ryan Leonard, who was selected by the Washington Capitals in the first round (8th overall) of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
A native of Westwood, N.J., Leonard played three seasons at the University of Massachusetts prior to turning professional, recording 105 points (56-49-105), a plus-30 rating and 42 penalty minutes in 106 games from 2017-20. Leonard was a First Team All-American and a Hockey East First-Team All-Star after leading the NCAA with 27 goals in 33 games as a junior in 2019-20. He was also a Hockey East Second-Team All-Star after logging 40 points (16-24-40), a plus-14 rating and 24 penalty minutes in 40 games as a sophomore in 2018-19. Leonard spent two seasons with the Green Bay Gamblers in the United States Hockey League from 2015-17, collecting 43 points (24-19-43), a plus-four rating and 30 penalty minutes in 106 games. He also played three seasons at Springfield (Mass.) Cathedral High from 2012-15, totaling 151 points (91-60-151) in 72 games. On the international stage, Leonard represented Team USA at the 2015 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, finishing with two points (1-1-2) in four games.
Postava, 24, earned his first career NHL win on Oct. 26 against the Edmonton Oilers, stopping 24 shots in regulation and overtime before turning away all three shootout attempts he faced. The 6-foot-1, 222-pound goaltender made his NHL debut in relief on Oct. 22 against the Vancouver Canucks, stopping 7-of-8 shots in the third period. Postava has also logged a perfect 5-0-0 record with a 1.20 goals-against average and a 0.955 save percentage in five starts with the Griffins during the 2026-27 season, earning AHL Goaltender of the Month honors for October. He spent the 2025-26 campaign with the Griffins, posting a 17-6-0 record with a 1.71 goals-against average, a 0.937 save percentage and four shutouts in 25 regular-season appearances. Postava was named a recipient of the Harry “Hap” Holmes Memorial Award for the 2025-26 AHL season, presented to the goaltender(s) on the team which allows the fewest goals per game in the regular season, sharing the award with Sebastian Cossa. Additionally, Postava tallied a 4-4 record with a 2.09 goals-against average, a 0.912 save percentage and one shutout in eight Calder Cup Playoff games. Originally signed by the Red Wings as an undrafted free agent on June 10, 2025, Postava has amassed a 22-6-0 record with a 1.62 goals-against average, a 0.940 save percentage and four shutouts in 30 appearances with the Griffins.
A native of Valasske Mezirici, Czechia, Postava spent the entire 2024-25 season with HC Kometa Brno in the Czech Extraliga, winning Best Goaltender honors after showing a 23-18-0 record with a 2.39 goals-against average, a 0.921 save percentage and three shutouts in 42 regular-season games. He also led HC Kometa Brno to a Czech Extraliga championship in 2025 and was selected as Playoff MVP after posting a 10-7 record with a 1.97 goals-against average, a 0.940 save percentage and three shutouts in 17 postseason contests. Postava’s save percentage of 0.940 during the postseason was the best among all goaltenders in Czechia’s top professional league. Postava also compiled a 46-46-0 record with a 2.01 goals-against average, a 0.936 save percentage and nine shutouts in 96 appearances during parts of five seasons with HC Přerov from 2019-24. He earned Best Goaltender accolades with HC Přerov in 2023-24 after leading Czechia’s second-highest professional league in wins (23) and save percentage (0.942).
