Max Plante's one of my favorite players to talk about among Detroit Red Wings prospects. He's not very big, but it doesn't mean his two-way game goes to the wayside.
In fact, you can count on Plante to give your team strong defensive play every time he skates onto the ice, even if most know him for his offensive prowess. He's been putting up over a point per game since 2023-24, and he accomplished the feat again in just his first season with Minnesota-Duluth.
That translated into a 28-point campaign in 23 games, with nine goals and 19 assists. As those stats show, his playmaking ability jumps off the charts, and he'll enter the season as one of the slickest passers in the college ranks.
And when I say "slickest," I mean he's that kind of player who can fire the puck into a sea of sticks and, somehow, find his linemate, who'll take the puck from there. When you can make those passes at his age, what's his passing and playmaking going to look like when he takes the next step?
Max Plante will be a fun player to watch and he may see more than just college ice time
Plante was among the invitees to the World Junior Summer Showcase earlier this year, meaning we could ultimately see him in the World Juniors as 2025 fades into 2026. Last season, he fared well in international play, putting up a goal and three points in six games for Team USA.
While it wasn't his usual point-per-game effort, Plante has, in the past routinely hit over that number. That was the case in 2022-23 when he landed 10 assists and 10 points in seven games in U17, before turning around in 2023-24 and snagging nine assists and 11 points in seven contests.
In both instances, his playmaking took center stage. And now that he's got more experience in both college and on the international stage, 2025-26 may be when you see him start taking over games. Opponents won't need to worry about the guy finishing sequences; they'll need to find a way to stop Plante from givng him a chance to score.
Right now, Plante may be No. 9 on my list of most exciting Red Wings prospects, but don't expect him to hang around there all year. Should he enjoy an excellent 2025-26 outing, I'm expecting him to bust into the top five.