As they did last year with Aaron Downey, the team is taking advantage of the rule that allows a player that clears waivers to be sent down any time over a 10-game or 30-day period following their waiving. With that flexibility, the Wings will be able to call up Jimmy Howard at short notice in case of an injury to either Ty Conklin or Chris Osgood. They currently do not have the cap space to allow for such a move if the prospective injury does not allow for placement on the long-term injury list.
McCarty is filling Downey's slot on the team in more ways than one. The fan-favorite has three fighting majors in ten games, a high average for a Red Wing, and has provided a physical presence on the fourth line while averaging 5:05 a game. He did Downey one better last week, scoring a goal against Pittsburgh in the Wings' 7-6 overtime loss.
Given that the Wings have stud young guns like Justin Abdelkader (14GP, 8G), Ville Leino (12GP, 12A) and Darren Helm (12GP, 11A) in Grand Rapids, the Wings' commitment to their old warrior Darren McCarty cannot be doubted. He may be on the waiver wire today, but he'll only see the inside of Van Andel Arena this season if there's an emergency in net.
