Alexey Marchenko ended up being the expendable one.
The Detroit Red Wings today placed him on waivers in order to free a spot for fellow defenseman Brendan Smith, who is slated to return from injury Saturday at Nashville.
Marchenko has been a healthy scratch the last four games. He missed time in November and December because of a shoulder injury. In the meantime, the Wings called up Nick Jensen, and he grabbed a job. Jensen’s biggest assets are his ability to skate and his competitiveness, and his speed has made him a good partner for Niklas Kronwall.