NHL Injury News: Red Wings Get Tough Break on Gustafsson, Out Long Term

A tough break for the Detroit Red Wings, as head coach Todd McLellan has revealed that defenseman Erik Gustafsson will likely miss the rest of the regular season.

Erik Gustafsson is out long term, McLellan said. No specific time table but could be the rest of the season.

Edvinsson one option to replace him on the power play.
— Max Bultman (@m_bultman) March 21, 2025

A regular on the Detroit blueline this season, his minutes had been up recently, playing over 19 minutes per night on four occasions in the previous seven games before his injury on Tuesday night.

Gustafsson slammed hard and awkwardly into the end boards in the third period of the 4-1 loss to the Washington Capitals.

A lot of #LGRW fans seemed to miss Gustafsson's injury. Here it is, does NOT look good.

No call on the play, or even acknowledgement from the broadcast. pic.twitter.com/X5w5ScVF4h
— sammy #LGRW (@wingedwheelsam) March 21, 2025

McLellan gave no specific timetable except to call it "long-term". He still has some hope that the D-man could possibly return just before the end of the regular season.

Simon Edvinsson will likely be given the opportunity to replace Gustafsson on the second power-play unit.

On the year, the 33-year-old Gustafsson has two goals and 16 assists for 18 points with a plus/minus rating of -19. In 515 career games over nine seasons, he has recorded 47 goals and 193 assists for 240 points. His high-water mark came with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2018-19, his first full NHL season (79 games), when he tallied a career-high 60 points.

The Red Wings are sitting four points back of the Montreal Canadiens for the second Wild Card berth in the Eastern Conference, but a recent 2-8-0 skid has made it awfully difficult on them heading down the stretch, and the loss of Gustafsson won't help.