Stephens was placed on waivers by Montreal on Tuesday.
The Canadiens are hoping Stephens will pass through waivers unclaimed so he can be assigned to AHL Laval for the start of the season. Stephens picked up six helpers through 27 appearances with the Red Wings in 2021-22.
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Canadiens' Mitchell Stephens: Signs two-way deal
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Stephens signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Canadiens on Wednesday.
Stephens spent the entirety of the 2021-22 campaign with the Red Wings, picking up six helpers through 27 appearances. The 25-year-old forward will likely split the 2022-23 season between the minors and the big club.
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Mitchell Stephens: Free agency bound
Rotowire
Stephens was not given a qualifying offer by the Red Wings and will become an unrestricted free agent Wednesday, MLive.com reports.
Stephens hasn't scored a goal at the NHL level in two seasons, though he did manage six helpers in 27 games last year. Given his limited offensive upside, the Ontario native figures to continue splitting his time between the NHL and AHL this upcoming campaign and shouldn't be expected to offer much in the way of fantasy value.
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Red Wings' Mitchell Stephens: Slides helper in win
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Stephens contributed an assist in Thursday's 3-0 win over the Hurricanes.
Stephens is performing well following a 55-game injury layoff, as he's registered two assists in three games since returning. However, between his fourth-line role and lack of NHL experience, fantasy managers are going to look elsewhere for help at the center position down the stretch.
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Red Wings' Mitchell Stephens: Cleared to return
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Stephens (lower body) will be activated off injured reserve and return to the lineup Saturday versus Columbus, Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reports.
Stephens should return to a bottom-six role following his nearly five-month absence. He's picked up four helpers through 16 contests this campaign.
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Red Wings' Mitchell Stephens: Facing months-long absence
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Stephens (lower body) will be out at least until Feb. 23, Ansar Khan of MLive.com reports.
Stephens has already missed four contests and will miss many more, but at least he doesn't require surgery. He recorded four points in 16 games prior to suffering the injury against Montreal on Nov. 13.
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Red Wings' Mitchell Stephens: Placed on IR retroactively
Rotowire
Stephens (lower body) was placed on IR on Monday.
The move was retroactive to Nov. 13. With Stephens expected to "miss some time," this move doesn't substantially alter his outlook. Joe Veleno has been recalled from AHL Grand Rapids and should fill in while Stephens recovers.
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Red Wings' Mitchell Stephens: Expected to miss time
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Stephens (lower body) "will miss some time" after leaving Saturday's game against Montreal.
A better look at his timeline could be available in the coming days but this should rule him out for Monday's game against Columbus and Tuesday's tilt with the Stars. The 24-year-old Stephens has four assists through 16 games this season.
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Red Wings' Mitchell Stephens: Injured Saturday
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Stephens left Saturday's game against Montreal with a lower-body injury and will not return.
Stephens crashed into the boards and was in noticeable pain when heading back to the bench. An update on the severity of his injury should be available before Monday's tilt with the Blue Jackets.
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Red Wings' Mitchell Stephens: Records assist Friday
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Stephens posted an assist and two PIM in Friday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Panthers.
Stephens helped out on a Sam Gagner goal in the second period. The 24-year-old Stephens is up to three assists, nine shots on net and a minus-1 rating through eight contests. He looks like a lock for a fourth-line role, but the Red Wings' offense isn't deep enough for him to be considered a consistent producer.
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Red Wings' Mitchell Stephens: Produces pair of helpers
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Stephens recorded two assists, two shots on goal and a plus-2 rating in Sunday's 6-3 win over the Blackhawks.
Stephens played a key role in the Red Wings taking control early in the second period. He helped out on goals by Carter Rowney and Vladislav Namestnikov. The 24-year-old Stephens had struggled until Sunday. He has just the two assists, nine shots on net, five blocked shots and a minus-2 rating through six contests. The second-round pick from 2015 has done little to earn anything more than a fourth-line role so far.
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Red Wings' Mitchell Stephens: Sure bet to make team
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Stephens is considered a lock to make the Opening Night roster for the Red Wings, Ansar Khan of MLive.com reports.
Stephens is tabbed as the permanent replacement for fourth-line grinder Luke Glendening, whom the Wings surprisingly let walk as an unrestricted free agent. It cost the Original Six club a 2022 sixth-round draft pick to acquire Stephens, which isn't a big price to pay for a 24-year-old who was actually a second-round pick with the Lightning back in 2015, when GM Steve Yzerman had been making roster moves for the Bolts.
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Red Wings' Mitchell Stephens: Traded to Motor City
Rotowire
Stephens was flipped to the Red Wings from the Lightning on Friday in exchange for a 2022 sixth-round pick.
Stephens garnered one assist, three shots and eight hits in seven games for the Lightning this past season. The 24-year-old center should be in the mix for a spot on the Opening Night roster with his new club and could top the 38 games he played during the 2019-20 campaign.
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Lightning's Mitchell Stephens: Ready to rock
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Stephens (lower body) will be activated off injured reserve and return to Tampa Bay's lineup for Tuesday's game versus Nashville, Bryan Burns of the Lightning's official site reports.
Stephens hasn't cracked the Lightning's lineup since Jan. 23 against Columbus, but he recently wrapped up an impressive conditioning stint with AHL Syracuse, during which he racked up eight points in just four games. Stephens, who's picked up one point in four NHL appearances this year, is expected to skate on Tampa Bay's fourth line Tuesday.
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Lightning's Mitchell Stephens: Back from conditioning stint
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Stephens (lower body) was recalled from his conditioning stint with AHL Syracuse on Monday.
Stephens was fantastic during his 10-day conditioning stint, racking up eight points across four AHL games. The 24-year-old is still technically on injured reserve, but he could be activated for Tuesday's matchup against the Predators. Stephens likely will slot into the bottom six if he ends up playing.
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Lightning's Mitchell Stephens: Headed on conditioning stint
Rotowire
Stephens (lower body) was assigned to AHL Syracuse for conditioning on Friday.
Stephens has been sidelined since Jan. 23 with a lower-body injury, so he'll head to the AHL to get back into playing shape. The 24-year-old winger has notched seven points in 42 games over the last two campaigns.
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Lightning's Mitchell Stephens: Upgraded to day-to-day
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Stephens is considered day-to-day with his lower-body injury, Bryan Burns of the Lightning's official site reports.
Stephens has been sidelined since undergoing surgery in mid-February, but it sounds like he could be ready to return sooner rather than later. Either way, the 24-year-old forward has only notched seven points in 42 games over the last two seasons, so most fantasy managers won't need to track his status.
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Lightning's Mitchell Stephens: Back on ice
Rotowire
Head coach Jon Cooper said Thursday that Stephens (lower body) has started skating again but isn't close to returning to the lineup.
Stephens underwent surgery in mid-February and was expected to miss at least two months. It's been a month since his surgery, so getting back on the ice marks a significant milestone in his rehab. Nevertheless, it sounds like he's at least a few weeks away from returning to the lineup, if not more. Prior to this injury, Stephens played four games this year, recording an assist, four hits and two shots on net.
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Lightning's Mitchell Stephens: Undergoes surgery
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Stephens (lower body) underwent surgery recently and is expected to miss a couple of months, Bryan Burns of the Lightning's official site reports.
Head coach Jon Cooper didn't provide much detail on Stephens' injury besides calling it "significant." Late March seems like the earliest that the 24-year-old will be ready. Prior to this injury, Stephens looked ready to be a fixture in the lineup, as he played all four games on the fourth line.
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Lightning's Mitchell Stephens: Lengthy absence on tap
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Coach Jon Cooper said Sunday that Stephens (lower body) is expected to miss at least two months, Joe Smith of The Athletic reports.
Stephens suffered the injury in a Jan. 23 loss to the Blue Jackets, and the injury appears significant. Before getting injured, the 23-year-old recorded one assist, two shots and four hits while averaging 8:32 of ice time in four games this year. Expect the team to shift Stephens to injured reserve to open up a roster spot in the coming days.
