Red Wings' 27-year old expected to leave NHL for contract in Switzerland

The Detroit Red Wings' organization already knows it'll probably be losing at least one player this offseason.

Ian Mitchell appears on his way to signing a contract in Switzerland, according to Swiss media He Shoots He Scores.

Mitchell is a 27-year old, 6-foot tall defenseman who was originally a second-round pick by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2017 out of the University of Denver.

As a rookie, he played in 39 games for Chicago. He hasn't played that many games in an NHL season since.

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Mitchell went from the Blackhawks to the Bruins as a secondary piece in the Taylor Hall-Nick Foligno trade in 2023, then was non-tendered by Boston before signing with the Red Wings for this season.

At the end of training camp, Mitchell was cut from the Red Wings' roster. He hasn't spent a second of the NHL regular season in the top division.

Instead, he's playing at AHL Grand Rapids, where he has four goals and 13 assists through 40 games.

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The one positive for Mitchell, rather literally, is that he has an impressive plus-23 this season.

Mitchell is originally from Alberta, and this will be his first foray to play overseas if he does indeed end up in Switzerland.

Maybe he could set up a runway to make it back to the NHL, or maybe he'll simply find a league he's more comfortable in and have a better chance to show his ability there.

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