Detroit second-round pick Brady Cleveland struggles to find his footing with multiple NCAA transfers, underscores deeper concerns about the Red Wings' ability to develop talent beyond the first round.
Back in 2023, the Detroit Red Wings used one of their early picks in the second round to take a towering 6-foot-5 defenseman with experience against high-end talent coming out of the U.S. National Development Program. He was an elite defender due to his size, physicality and aggressive style of play that he uses to help angle out opposing forwards.
The prospect is Brady Cleveland, a Wisconsin native that enters his third season under team control with the Red Wings yet to signed him to his entry level deal. This sort of thing is normal as players need to prove that they have a pathway to being an impactful player in Detroit's future but Cleveland's road has proven to be more troubling as the year's have gone on.
After being selected 47th overall in the draft, Cleveland transitioned from the Development Program to his hometown school, the University of Wisconsin. This path to the NCAA has become fairly common among prospects, but in Cleveland’s case, he struggled to make a meaningful impact.
More Red Wings: Russian Royalty: Alex Ovechkin Pays Tribute To Pavel Datsyuk
In his time with the Badgers, Cleveland appeared in just 16 games, failing to register a point, and finished with 19 penalty minutes, suggesting he had a hard time securing an everyday role or suffered an injury. Cleveland then opted to transfer to Colorado College, taking advantage of the NCAA’s updated transfer rules in hopes of a fresh start and more opportunity. However, his production remained modest. Over 37 games, he recorded just one goal, two assists, and 39 penalty minutes, again failing to establish a strong presence.
This past season, Cleveland again transferred this time moving to a hockey powerhouse in the University of Minnesota-Duluth. The now 20-year-old defenseman will now hope to get more ice-time with the three-time National Champions and could prove to be a good decision in terms of his development.
However, multiple transfers between programs could be a concern, especially when you consider that each coaching staff has a limited window to get to know Cleveland's skill set and what adjustments he needs to make to improve as a player. Instead of settling into one system and developing over time, Cleveland has had to reset multiple times, adjusting to new team dynamics, defensive schemes, and relationships with coaches and support staff. It’s hard to pin down the exact impact on his development, but it’s reasonable to assume this constant upheaval could hinder his progress.
More Red Wings: Danielson “More Toolsy” Than Marco Kasper Says NHL Insider
Cleveland was a high draft pick by the Red Wings, and the organization is hoping he can finally find his footing and grow into a player worthy of an NHL contract. He still has two years of NCAA eligibility remaining, including this upcoming season, which means Detroit still has time to come to a decision. Once his college career is over, they will have a 30-day window to decide whether to sign him or allow him to become a free agent. The hope is that he can develop within a stable system in Minnesota-Duluth that has produced top NHL defensemen like Justin Faulk, Neal Pionk, and Carson Soucy.
Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.
What the Red Wings can’t afford is another situation like Red Savage, a fourth-round pick who ultimately went unsigned and wasted a fourth-round pick. For General Manager Steve Yzerman, continuing to miss on a second-round picks is something he can't afford to continue. Other recent second-round selections, like Andrew Gibson (2023), Theodor Niederbach (2020), and Robert Mastrosimone (2019), have failed to make an impact and are no longer with the organization.
While Detroit has seen some success with their top picks like Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond, and Marco Kasper, those hits can’t overshadow the issue that has become the inability to draft impact players and developing talent from within. A lack of productive prospects from the AHL and below may be one of the reasons the Red Wings have now missed the playoffs for nine straight seasons. Cleveland’s trajectory could be used a symbol of a greater issue within the organization that has been if the team truly on the right path, or are its development issues holding it back?
The Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers have built up championship teams not just with star talent but players that excel in their roles even in the bottom six of their lineup. The Bolts had drafted and developed players like Alex Killorn, Ondrej Palat and Ross Colton into impact players that weren't superstars like Nikita Kucherov or Steven Stamkos but still played a pivotal role in the team's success. The Red Wings will need to look to do the same if they want to eventually find success.
Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites.