The Detroit Red Wings have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, even after a draft that had mixed opinions. Tony Ferrari looks at their strengths, weaknesses and more.

The Detroit Red Wings have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL. They're next up in the NHL prospect pool overview series.

Tony Ferrari digs through the Red Wings' system to evaluate notable prospects, identify strengths and weaknesses, and determine a player most likely to make the jump to the NHL next season. He also gives the lowdown on each Red Wings player selected in the 2024 NHL draft.

A player who no longer holds rookie eligibility in the NHL is no longer considered a prospect for this exercise, except in very specific cases.

First Thoughts

The Detroit Red Wings took a step toward playoff contention last season, being eliminated in the final minutes. But their young NHL players played an important role in nearly making it.

Lucas Raymond put the team on his back in the final month of the season, picking up the slack with captain Dylan Larkin out. Their goaltending waned, some of their depth scorers weren't producing as much, and the blueline was being exposed left and right, but Raymond was there to score a game-tying goal or an overtime-winner to keep Detroit in the thick of the race. His ascension to stardom truly began.

Moritz Seider faced arguably the toughest competition in the NHL as the team's top defenseman, and his numbers took a hit because of it. While he did a solid job, the Wings will need some help going forward.

Thankfully, the Wings have a number of blueliners coming with Simon Edvinsson being the next in line for NHL work. He saw some action at the end of the season and immediately looked like the team’s second-best defender. He uses his 6-foot-6 frame well, and his skating is impressive. He has all of the tools you want from a do-it-all blueliner, but he just needs to refine some of his decision-making. There is no reason he shouldn’t be in the lineup on Day 1 of the season because outside of Seider, the Red Wings don’t have a defenseman who can affect the game in as many ways.

Albert Johansson will be an interesting player to watch, as the Swedish defender is no longer waiver-exempt. Having played for the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins last season, Johansson was consistently praised for his mature approach to the game. He is good at many things but doesn’t have an elite standout trait. He should beat out some of the vets on the NHL roster based purely on talent, but if not, he could be a player the Wings regret losing on waivers.

Overseas, the development of Axel Sandin-Pellikka has been going just as the Wings had hoped. The uber-talent offensive blueliner won a Swedish League championship with Skelleftea, collecting the Salming Trophy for the best Swedish defenseman in the league. He was also named the best defenseman of the world juniors while winning silver. 

Sandin-Pellikka grew so much over the last year, particularly in his own zone. While there is still work to be done, especially in the tough areas, Sandin-Pellikka looked like a much more well-rounded defenseman this season.

The Red Wings' two forwards most often discussed lately have been Nate Danielson and Marco Kasper. They have been touted as responsible two-way centers who can play smart, reliable hockey.

Danielson brings a bit more offensive upside. He is a rush shooter who looks to play with speed. The former captain of the WHL's Brandon Wheat Kings is a north-south attacker and struggles to sustain offensive pressure at times. He may never be a top-line center, but he has the makings of a really solid second-line pivot. Danielson likely starts the year in Grand Rapids.

As for Kasper, he may not bring as much offensive skill, but he thrives along the walls and in traffic. He plays with maturity and energy that make him hard to stop. Kasper had an up-and-down first season in the AHL, recording 35 points in 71 games, but he seemed to improve as the year went on. He relied on his instincts at both ends of the ice and never tried to do too much. If Danielson can slot in as the second-line center, Kasper would make an excellent third-line center.

Jonatan Berggren has been dangled as trade bait, but he has also been fairly productive when in the NHL lineup, recording six points in 12 games in 2023-24 and 28 points in 67 games the year prior. He is highly skilled and can be an asset as a depth scorer and a dual threat on the power play. Next season could be pivotal for the 24-year-old.

The Wings have a couple of interesting AHLers in Carter Mazur and Elmer Soderblom. Mazur had an excellent first full AHL season, putting up 37 points in 60 games. He can score goals in various ways, whether he’s shooting from opportune positions or crashing and banging around the net. Soderblom is a freakishly large forward who plays with the skill of a much smaller player. The 6-foot-8 winger hasn’t quite figured out how to leverage his puck skill into production in North America.

Finally, in net, the Wings have two blue chippers in Sebastian Cossa and Trey Augustine. Cossa put up solid numbers in the ECHL in his first pro season and followed it up last year by asserting himself as the best goaltender in AHL Grand Rapids. He will be 21 in November, and he will look to have another big year in the AHL with a legitimate shot at a few NHL games if injuries occur.

As for Augustine, he was one of the best goaltenders in the NCAA last season, helping Michigan State ascend to the top of the nation. His play earned him the starting nod for Team USA at the World Junior Championship, where he led the squad to a gold medal and captured all-tournament honors in net. He will look to help Michigan State compete for a national title this upcoming season, and then maybe there is a jump to professional hockey in the cards.

U-23 Players Likely To Be on the NHL Roster

Lucas Raymond (RW), Moritz Seider (RD), Simon Edvinsson (LD)

2024 NHL Draft Class

Round 1, 15th overall - Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, RW, Mora (Swe.2)

Round 2, 47th overall - Max Plante, LW, U.S. NTDP (USHL)

Round 3, 80th overall - Ondrej Becher, C/W, Prince George (WHL)

Round 4, 126th overall - Landon Miller, G, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)

Round 5, 144th overall - John Whipple, LD, U.S. NTDP (USHL)

Round 6, 176th overall - Charlie Forslund, LW, Falu Jr. (Swe.)

Round 7, 203rd overall - Austin Baker, LW, U.S. NTDP (USHL)

Round 7, 208th overall - Fisher Scott, LD, Dubuque (USHL)

Detroit’s draft has been a topic of mixed discussion. Some fans still have blind faith in the ‘Yzerplan,’ while others are beginning to question things more. 

After the first round, the Wings went off the board with almost all of their picks. They continued to opt for safe, smart players who have somewhat limited upside. They’ve added more to what they already have, and while not all players drafted over the last few years will work out, they have plenty of middle or bottom-of-the-lineup skaters in their system.

Michael Brandsegg-Nygard was the most well-received pick of the Red Wings' draft class. The Norwegian winger plays a smart, heavy game with an excellent mind for defense and offensive play that showed maturity and growth throughout the season. 

Brandsegg-Nygard's role with Mora in the Allsvenskan grew from a middle-six role player early in the season to one of the team’s most important offensive weapons in the playoffs while still maintaining his defensive responsibilities. He has an excellent shot, but his offensive game is nuanced, incorporating high-efficiency board play with a drive to the middle of the ice. He becomes the team’s top forward prospect.

After that, Detroit’s draft seemed to veer from consensus. 

Max Plante's ability to read the play and put passes onto his teammates' sticks is where most of his offensive generation comes from. Whether it's a perfectly weighted backhand saucer pass to the slot or a cross-seam beam to the opposite faceoff circle, Plante will find a teammate for a scoring chance. Plante never lacks effort in his own zone, either. He isn’t the most physical player, and his puck skill is average, but if he can add a bit in both of those areas, he can more than justify this pick.

Ondrej Becher settled into the line-driver role for WHL Prince George. The 20-year-old Czech forward did a lot of the heavy lifting, which allowed players such as Washington's first-round pick, Terik Parascak, to do damage offensively. Becher reads defenses, works the give-and-go and draws attention to himself to open up teammates. He was one of the more intriguing overage players in the class.

The Wings always seem to take a goalie in the draft, and this year, it was Soo Greyhound Landon Miller. The 6-foot-5 netminder didn’t play all that much as a draft eligible but looked quite good at times. He always seemed to find a way to battle and settle in after a goal. His size and resiliency are two of the most important qualities a netminder can have.

John Whipple was one of the most fascinating players in the NHL draft. He builds his game around his high-level mobility and quick thinking. He can play various ways stylistically, but for most of last season in the USA Hockey National Team Development Program, he was asked to be a stopper on defense. He stepped up and eagerly took on the role. He flashed his puck-moving ability throughout the year, but he rarely had the green light to let loose the way Cole Hutson had. Whipple has a very solid base defensively with upside in every facet of the game.

The Red Wings are known for unearthing gems from Sweden, with the legendary Hakan Andersson currently serving as their director of European scouting. With his reputation, it’s hard to doubt a swing like Charlie Forslund, who played most of last season at the U-18 and HockeyEttan (Swe.3) levels. His production in both leagues was impressive. His shot is his most notable tool, but he brings some size and physicality to the game as well.

By picking Austin Baker, the Wings hope a player buried on the NTDP's depth chart has more to give. Baker has some speed, using it to back off defenders and create chaos in the offensive zone. He was also an excellent penalty-killer, consistently being aggressive on the puck carrier and trying to force quick decisions.

Fisher Scott isn’t afraid to mix it up, get into a fight and set the tone early in a game. He isn’t the most gifted offensive player, but he can bomb a puck on net from the blueline when he gets a hold of one. Scott is a primarily defensive player with some puck-moving ability, thanks to steady passes, but he must refine his fluidity while skating. He’ll attend Colorado College in the fall, giving him plenty of runway to develop and refine his game.

Strengths

The Red Wings have one of the deepest talent pools in the league. The depth at just about every position is impressive. 

Danielson and Kasper down the middle look like surefire NHL players. Amadeus Lombardi has shown some of the most impressive flashes of skill in the entire prospect pool. Red Savage had an excellent bounce-back season after transferring to Michigan State for his junior season. Becher elevated players around him all season.

Those are just the centers in the pipeline. The right and left wings each have similar depth, and the blueline, particularly on the left side, is maybe even more impressive. 

In goal, Cossa and Augustine are arguably among the NHL's top five prospects in the crease. The depth chart below has a few names at each position who could realistically eventually find their way into the NHL lineup.

Weaknesses

When the prospect pool is this deep, there aren’t many weaknesses. But the Red Wings' biggest flaw in their system is something Wings fans have been clamoring for. They lack a high-impact forward who could be a legitimate superstar. 

Lucas Raymond is young, and he’s on his way to stardom, but the rest of the forward corps is full of middle-of-the-lineup skaters. 

Danielson and Kasper have second-line upside. Mazur may fill a middle-six scoring role. Brandsegg-Nygard may have the most upside of the group and could find his way to a top-line role, but it would be in a complementary position. It’s hard to really get to the upper echelon of the NHL without that superstar forward. 

Dylan Larkin is a good top-line center. Raymond is a stud. They still need someone to assert themself as ‘The Guy,’ though.

Next Man Up: Simon Edvinsson, D

Edvinsson will look to be in the lineup right away next season and never give up his spot.

Edvinsson brings high potential in all facets of the game. Defensively, he uses his length and skating to cut down lanes and kill play. In transition, he can move the puck up ice as a passer or carrier. 

In the offensive zone, he has the vision and mobility to walk the line and set up plays. He could fill the role of power-play quarterback on the second unit while also eventually finding a role on the penalty kill. 

Edvinsson may not quite reach the status that Moritz Seider has as a true No. 1 defenseman, but he could be an excellent complement who can alleviate some of the load Seider has to take on.

Prospect Depth Chart Notables

LW: Carter Mazur, Liam Dower-Nilsson, Max Plante, Elmer Soderblom, Kevin Bicker, Dmitri Buchelnikov

C: Nate Danielson, Marco Kasper, Noah Dower-Nilsson, Red Savage, Ondrej Becher, Amadeus Lombardi

RW: Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, Jonatan Berggren, Alexandre Doucet

LD: Simon Edvinsson, Albert Johansson, William Wallinder, John Whipple, Eemil Viro, Shai Buium, Brady Cleveland

RD: Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Antti Tuomisto, Anton Johansson

G: Sebastian Cossa, Trey Augustine, Carter Gylander, Landon Miller

For a deeper dive into the prospect pool with player rankings, check out the Future Watch and upcoming Yearbook print editions in The Hockey News.