Hockey recap: Kienan Draper scoreless in AHL debut with Grand Rapids

Red Wings prospect Kienan Draper was scoreless and plus-1 in his AHL debut for the Grand Rapids Griffins. The Griffins posted a 5-2 victory over the Iowa Wild at the Casey’s Center on Wednesday in Des Moines, Iowa. Grand Rapids reached 50 wins in the fewest games in the team’s 30-year history (2005-06, 71 games) and their 26 road victories tied the most in franchise history (2002-03).

Draper, 24, was the Wings' 2020 seventh round (187th overall) draft pick, who just finished his senior season at Michigan. Draper had five goals and 13 assists in 40 games, with a plus-21 rating. Kienan Draper is the son of Kris Draper, the Wings' assistant general manager and director of amateur scouting, who played 20 seasons and won four Stanley Cups with the Wings.

North Dakota's Dylan James also made his AHL debut with one shot and a plus-1 rating and Michael Postava made 24 saves to improve to 16-6-0. Ovechkin: 'We'll see' on NHL future Alex Ovechkin, the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer, has left the door open on whether he will return for another campaign, saying he will not make a decision on his playing future until the close season. The Washington Capitals captain recorded an assist in Tuesday's regular-season finale, a 2-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, but the result did little to soften a disappointing end to the year.

Washington had already been eliminated from Stanley Cup Playoffs contention the day before, marking only the fifth time since Ovechkin was drafted first overall in 2004 that the Capitals have missed the postseason. "I hope it's not my last game," Ovechkin said in a report on the NHL's website. "So, we'll see.