Lightning Claim Mattias Ritola Off Waivers from Red Wings

The Tampa Bay Lightning announced today that they have claimed left wing Mattias Ritola off waivers from the Detroit Red Wings. In five games last season with the Red Wings, he had no points. He also appeared in 73 games with Grand Rapids of the AHL, scoring 19 goals and 23 assists for 42 points. Not a bad pickup for the Lightning, as Ritola has some scoring upside, good playmaking skills, and can play on either wing. It's an unfortunate loss for Detroit, as they didn't have the salary cap space to keep him on the team, and in order to assign him to the minors, he had to pass through waivers, which many did not expect to happen.