With Franzen out for a month, the Red Wings bolstered their forward corps by calling up Ville Leino from Grand Rapids. Leino was impressive in the preseason. Signed as a free agent this summer, Leino was the Finnish elite league's player of the year. Very skilled. Puck follows him around the ice. Leino could be used as a top-six forward or he could go on the third line with countryman Valtteri Filppula if Coach Mike Babcock decides to put Dan Cleary or Jiri Hudler up on Henrik Zetterberg's line.

Here's the press release from the Griffins' PR staff ...

The Detroit Red Wings on Sunday recalled left wing Ville Leino from the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League.

Leino, the 2007-08 player of the year in the Finnish Elite League, has enjoyed a strong start to his first season in North America, leading Grand Rapids with four goals while placing second on the club with six points and a plus-three rating (tied). In addition, he has accounted for both of the Griffins’ game-winning goals this season, and his 0.500 shooting percentage (4-for-8) is tied for first in the AHL.

During the preseason, Leino tallied six points (3-3—6) in eight games for Detroit. Should he make his regular season debut with the Red Wings in Los Angeles on Monday, he will become the 96th Griffins alumnus to play in the NHL.