Longtime Red Wings veteran gets benched after coach’s very unusual comments

The Detroit Red Wings are heading into their Thursday evening matchup against the Florida Panthers with a notable absence from the lineup. Michael Rasmussen, the longest-tenured player currently on the roster, will be a healthy scratch.

The reasoning from head coach Todd McLellan also turned heads.

Speaking to reporters following the morning skate in Fort Lauderdale on Nov. 12, McLellan offered a peculiar explanation for pulling Rasmussen from the lineup. He acknowledged that the 27-year-old center had been playing well overall, but said recent performances had dipped.

"Michael's played really strong," McLellan said. "Last few haven't been as good. He's ended up in the wrong spot at the wrong time at the scene of crime and we just want to give Maze a chance to go."

The "scene of crime" phrasing was an unusual way for a coach to describe a player simply being on the ice when things went. It suggested McLellan viewed Rasmussen as more of an unlucky bystander than a primary culprit, yet still chose to sit him.

Carter Mazur will slot into Rasmussen's spot against the Panthers.

Rasmussen's numbers this season have been modest. Through 19 games, the towering 6-foot-6 forward has registered just one goal and three assists. Still, McLellan's own admission that Rasmussen had been playing "really strong" for most of that stretch makes the decision to scratch him a curious one.

The timing adds another layer. Rasmussen is the longest-serving active player in Detroit's locker room and carries another season on his contract at a $3.2 million cap hit. Sitting a veteran with that kind of organizational tenure, while simultaneously praising his play, sends a complicated message.

It also opens the door for Mazur, who now gets an opportunity to prove he belongs in the nightly rotation. Whether this is a one-game reset for Rasmussen or the beginning of a longer stretch on the outside looking in remains to be seen.