The Detroit Red Wings decided to place goalie Joey MacDonald on waivers on Saturday. The netminder is out of the backup mix while Jonas Gustavsson is on the injured reserve and Petr Mrazek won convincingly in his first NHL start on Feb. 7. MacDonald hasn't played in an NHL game yet in 2013 and might just need to do it for another team if that happens.

Joey MacDonald (herniated disc) might be healthy enough to return to Detroit's lineup as soon as Friday. MacDonald will participate in Detroit's Thursday morning skate. It's not clear if MacDonald will get an opportunity to start in the not too distant future.

Joey MacDonald (herniated disc) might end up heading to AHL Grand Rapids on a conditioning stint in the near future. Part of it might depend on the status of Jonas Gustavsson (groin) by the time MacDonald is ready to return. MacDonald is hoping to get the green light to resume hockey workouts this week and might be able to play this weekend.

Joey MacDonald (herniated disc) is expected to get clearance to play hockey this week. MacDonald has been out of action since last March and could find himself as a backup for Jimmy Howard while Jonas Gustavsson continues to be out with a groin injury. MacDonald could be ready to go as early as this weekend and Howard could use a break as he has started all eight games.

Joey MacDonald is still recovering from a back injury that he sustained in March. "It's frustrating, especially after a year like last year when everything went so well," said MacDonald. "But it's no different than any other year for me. You come into camp and battle. If you're not No. 1, you're battling for No. 2. It doesn't matter. You just keep battling and working hard. Look at what happened last year." MacDonald started the 2011-12 campaign as Detroit's third-string goaltender, but worked his way onto the roster before suffering a back injury. He's signed with Detroit through the 2012-13 season, but he's behind Jonas Gustavsson and Jimmy Howard in the depth charts.

Red Wings goaltender Joey MacDonald would like to be traded. MacDonald was seemingly going to serve as the team's backup to Jimmy Howard after the departure of Ty Conklin, but the acquisition of Jonas Gustavsson leaves him without a job once again. An untimely injury to another netminder might be MacDonald's best hope of catching on with another NHL club.

The Red Wings may be forced to find a backup goalie this offseason. Joey MacDonald would be the No. 2 to Jimmy Howard, but didn't play after March 14 because of a partially herniated disc in his back. That still remains a concern, and how he feels before free agency begins July 1 will determine what Detroit has to do. The 32-year-old was 8-5-1 with a 2.16 goals-against average and .912 save percentage this season.

Look for Joey MacDonald to be the backup goaltender in Detroit next season. MacDonald signed a two-year contract a year ago with 2012-13 being a one-way contract at $550,000. That's an awfully small salary and it will help as the Red Wings head into free agency. Ty Conklin will not be back next season as MacDonald was outstanding when recalled to replace the injured Jimmy Howard as he was 8-5-1 with a 2.16 GAA and .912 save percentage before his season was prematurely ended in mid-March with back spasms.

Joey MacDonald (back) is expected to get a cortisone shot on Monday. "Hopefully that'll settle it down," MacDonald said. "(The doctor) was real positive. He didn't think there would be surgery." He won't play on Saturday and he should also be considered very doubtful for Monday and Wednesday's contests.

Joey MacDonald has undergone an MRI on his injured back, but the Red Wings don't have the results yet. MacDonald is dealing with back spasms and should be considered day-to-day for now. He has a 2.16 GAA and .912 save percentage in 14 games this season.