DETROIT – Jonas Gustavsson will play for the Detroit Red Wings for at least one more season, according to Helene St. James.
James is reporting the 29-year-old back-up goaltender has agreed to a one-year contract with Detroit. His two-year, $3 million contract just ended, making him an unrestricted free agent.
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The Red Wings had the option of letting Gustavsson go and bringing in someone else to back up Jimmy Howard. Petr Mrazek, who has been starting in Grand Rapids the past couple of years, seemed a likely candidate.
However, Gustavsson earned himself another year as back-up with the Red Wings after his best season to date in which he posted a .907 save percentage, 2.63 goals against average and a 16-5-4 record in 27 appearances.
When Howard left the playoffs due to illness, Gustavsson stepped in for two games against the Boston Bruins. He was solid for the Red Wings, posting a .917 save percentage.
Mrazek remains a great option for Detroit in the third spot. But bringing back Gustavsson, who appeared in just seven games in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season due to injury (then he suffered more injuries this past season), means the Red Wings aren't ready to pull Mrazek off his starting job with the Griffins and put him on the bench in Detroit. They likely want the 22-year-old to keep playing big minutes in the AHL so his growth isn't stunted.
This has to be my favorite Gustavsson save of this past season:
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