The 30-year-old went unclaimed during training camp but has been with the big club for most of the season. Czarnik participated in two games with the Griffins, securing two goals and an assist, before his mid-October recall. Although he was sent down at the month's end, he quickly returned on an emergency basis, eventually transitioning to a regular recall shortly after.
Czarnik, on the Red Wings' fourth line for 11 games, has managed just one assist while averaging 8:35 of ice time per night. Last season, he showed more success at the top level with two goals and three assists in 29 games, marking his highest NHL game count since the 2018-19 season.
Having surpassed ten games since his last waiver clearance, Czarnik must navigate through unclaimed waivers once again to return to the Griffins. In the second and final year of his two-year, minimum-salary contract with a $762.5K AAV, teams have until 1 PM CT on Sunday to claim Czarnik if interested.
