Evgeny Svechnikov’s planned comeback isn’t materializing, and that can work to the Detroit Red Wings’ favor.

Svechnikov, the Wings’ first-round pick from 2015, suffered an injury during training camp, requiring ACL reconstruction on his right knee Oct. 16. At that time, recovery was estimated at 5-to-6 months.

There was enough optimism at the trade deadline that the Wings successfully applied for an exemption to make Svechnikov eligible for the AHL playoffs. (Generally, players on injured reserve at the deadline are not eligible for the playoffs.) But as Svechnikov, 22, has been skating for several weeks, pain in his knee has been too much to make an appearance with the Grand Rapids Griffins realistic.

General manager Ken Holland told the Free Press on Friday that the Wings don’t expect Svechnikov to play this season. There's one big benefit of him missing what would have been his third season of pro hockey: The Wings can send him to Grand Rapids next season without waivers. He could have a strong summer and be ready to compete for a job in Detroit in the fall, but the Wings don’t know what they have in Svechnikov, who they selected 19th overall in 2015.

He had an impressive rookie pro season in 2016-17 with the Griffins, with 20 goals and 31 assists in 74 games, He added 12 points during the Griffins' run to the 2017 Calder Cup championship.

But the following season, Svechnikov struggled, producing seven goals and 16 assists in 57 games with the Griffins and two goals and two assists in 14 games with the Wings.

Having the flexibility to send Svechnikov to Grand Rapids next season is a better outcome than being forced to keep him in Detroit if he hasn’t earned a spot in the lineup.

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Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter.