A bit of odd news down the wire tonight via Twitter from CapGeek as it seems Red Wings are once again dipping into the Finnish pro league.
Red Wings sign F Ilari Filppula, the brother of Valtteri
The elder Filppula (5-foot-11, 191) has played his entire pro career in the Finnish League. He won the Jari Kurri Trophy as playoff MVP this season, helping TPS Turku win the championship by picking up two goals and 12 assists in 15 playoff games. He had 12 goals and 37 assists for a team-high 49 points in 58 regular season games.
I would have to assume that if Ilari Filppula is going to become something other than a guy getting time grinding away in the AHL, he’s there to at least keep his kid brother happy by being stateside. Then again, you can’t put anything past the Red Wings when it comes to digging for gold in Scandinavia.