Detroit Red Wings add a new reclamation project in Olli Juolevi
By Tyler Kotila
The Detroit Red Wings have gone out and made a roster move that brings them a new defenseman to give a shot. In a tweet from Elliotte Friedman of Hockey Night In Canada, he announced that the Red Wings have added a new defenseman.
The Detroit Red Wings grabbed defenseman Olli Juolevi on waivers to add to the team’s defense core. He is a former first-round selection of the Vancouver Canucks, who have since moved on from as he’s bounced around the league.
Juolevi was traded by the Canucks to the Florida Panthers and has since found himself on waivers, and the Red Wings opted to take a chance on him. He was the fifth overall pick from the 2016 NHL Entry Draft and has not lived up to things since then. In fact, he’s only logged minutes in 33 games overall.
It took him nearly five years to finally see the ice, with his debut being during the 2020-21 season. The Red Wings are going to bring him in, throw him into some games and see if he has the chance to be a reclamation project.
Detroit Red Wings claim defenseman Olli Juolevi on waivers.
In his first season logging games, he would see the ice in 23 games for the Canucks where he had just two goals and one assist for three points overall. He turned around in 2021-22, playing just ten games where he has not registered a point.
However, it seems like one of those instances where the Red Wings might be looking to give Juolevi a change of scenery. He’s 6-foot-2 and 182 pounds and should be able to add to the team’s defense core.
It’s not the first time that the Red Wings have looked to add some reclamation projects. It’s worked out sometimes, and others not so much. Steve Yzerman must see something in Juolevi, being such a high draft choice, expecting that he can bring some skill and benefit to the table.
If not, no harm, no foul, and he can be placed on waivers once again. But until then, the Red Wings are going to hope that a change of scenery will do the trick. Slotting him into the team’s lineup should allow the Red Wings to test out some new pairings and see how Juolevi does.
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He’s a left-handed shot, and frankly, he may not be as useless as some of the Red Wings defensemen have been. So getting Juolevi involved may not be the worst thing in the world.