The Detroit Red Wings have officially signed forward to a one-year, two-way contract extension.
He has played two games with the Red Wings this season, logging two penalty minutes, one shot, and six hits while averaging 7:00 of ice time. He has spent most of the season with the Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL), where he ranks among the team leaders in several categories, including 12 goals (T-3rd), 32 points (3rd), and 94 penalty minutes (1st).
The 6-foot-4, 210-pound forward represented Grand Rapids at the 2025 AHL All-Star Classic alongside goaltender Sebastian Cossa.
A first-round pick (18th overall) by Nashville in 2010, Watson has 118 career NHL points (60 goals, 58 assists) in 517 games with the Predators, Senators, Lightning, and Red Wings. He played a key role in Nashville’s 2017 Stanley Cup Final run, registering 19 points in 45 postseason games.
An Ann Arbor, Michigan native, Watson also had a decorated OHL career, winning championships with Windsor (2009) and London (2012) and earning OHL Playoff MVP honors in 2012. Internationally, he was an alternate captain for Team USA at the 2022 IIHF World Championship and won gold at the 2010 IIHF U18 World Championship.