The Detroit Red Wings have been a bit of a mess as of late and on Saturday they took a significant risk that could very well cost their roster a former first round pick.
According to a report from NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, the Red Wings have placed 26 year old defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker on waivers. Bernard-Docker came into training camp with an upper-body injury and has yet to play a game for the Red Wings this season.
That being said Bernard-Docker is a former first round pick, selected 26th overall by the Ottawa Senators at the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, and remains a valuable asset for the Red Wings. That is only amplified by the fact that there is so much uncertainty already on the Red Wings blue line with the future of Simon Edvinsson still in limbo.
The Red Wings are currently carrying 9 defensemen on their roster and it seems Bernard-Docker was a casualty of that reality, but it also means that they now risk losing him for nothing at all to a rival team that submits a waiver claim.
The decision to waive Bernard-Docker likely signals that That the Red Wings are likely to see the return of either veteran forward J.T Compher or Mason Appleton, both of whom are currently on injured reserve.
