Red Wings sign Austin Watson to one-year, two-way contract extension

The Detroit Red Wings announced Wednesday they signed forward Austin Watson to a one-year, two-way contract extension.

The 33-year-old Watson has 12 goals and 19 assists for 31 points and 94 penalty minutes in 51 games with the Red Wings’ AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins. Watson also appeared in two games with Detroit, going pointless and two penalty minutes.

In 517 career NHL games, Watson has 60 goals and 58 assists for 118 points and 707 penalty minutes with the Red Wings, Tampa Bay Lightning, Ottawa Senators and Nashville Predators.

Watson’s best offensive season came in 2017-18, scoring 14 goals and five assists for 19 points in 76 games with the Predators.

In 45 career Stanley Cup Playoff games, Watson scored 10 goals and nine assists for 19 points and 48 penalty minutes.

In seven AHL seasons, Watson has 85 goals and 79 assists for 164 points and 183 penalty minutes in 286 career games with the Griffins and Milwaukee Admirals.

Watson was taken No. 18 overall by the Predators in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. In four OHL seasons, the Ann Arbor, Mich., native scored 89 goals and 130 assists for 219 points in 244 games with the Windsor Spitfires, Peterborough Petes and London Knights.

His best junior season was in 2010-11, scoring 34 goals and 34 assists for 68 points in 68 games with the Petes. He won a Memorial Cup with the Spitfires and lost in another Memorial Cup Final with the Knights.

The Red Wings are 30-25-6 with 66 points, fourth in the Atlantic Division. With 21 games to go, they’re in the thick of the Eastern Conference Wild Card race with the Senators, New York Rangers, Columbus Blue Jackets and Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins.