Top 5 forward prospects for Red Wings fans to know before the 2024 NHL Draft

We know the Detroit Red Wings need an undisputed right winger, but that doesn’t need to be the case when general manager Steve Yzerman is set to make his first pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. With one of the better prospects pools, he could add a winger like Liam Greentree, but what if he just went with the top forward on his board when the Wings pick, in the middle of the first?

We don’t know who Yzerman has on that draft board, but we can at least gain a general idea of which forward’s name he will call on draft day should he go in that direction in favor of a blueliner. That said, we have quite a long list of centers and wingers that you can dive into to share in the upcoming slides. 

Lots of high-end forwards the Red Wings can grab in the middle of the first

Just because we’re not talking about Macklin Celebrini somehow landing with Detroit or other top names like Ivan Demidov, Cayden Lindstrom, and Cole Eiserman, it doesn’t mean those players slated to go in the middle or even the bottom half of the first round aren’t intriguing. 

And given Steve Yzerman’s ability to call out the right names since he returned to Detroit, there is no doubt he will land a future contributor whom Red Wings fans will one day cheer for in Little Caesars Arena. No, they won’t take the ice this season, but it doesn’t mean they won’t crack the big club’s lineup before we all know it. So let’s talk about five solid forward prospects Red Wings fans must get to know more about.