4 untouchable prospects the Red Wings cannot trade at the deadline
The Detroit Red Wings are peaking at the right time, so there is no doubt that they will buy at the 2024 trade deadline.
Few general managers have been as effective at building teams as Steve Yzerman. The Detroit Red Wings general manager showed us what he could do not only in the previous decade with the Tampa Bay Lightning, but his approach in the Motor City has Detroit playing some outstanding hockey this season.
Earlier in the year, Yzerman showed us he was completely fine with taking risks when he inked Patrick Kane to a deal. Kane was coming off of a risky procedure that NHL players rarely made an impact returning from, but with 31 points and 13 goals in just 29 contests, the 35-year-old still looks like the star player he always was. And you can argue Yzerman should keep him in Detroit beyond the 2023-24 season.
Given the success of Kane and this previous summer’s trade involving his old Chicago Blackhawks teammate Alex Debrincat, there is no way Yzerman should stop buying. And he won’t, whether he goes for another jaw-dropping deal or one that won’t bring as much attention but will nonetheless remain effective.
Steve Yzerman must keep improving the Red Wings, but…
Steve Yzerman should call several non-contending teams who have valuable assets to give, but he must also draw a line if and when they start demanding top prospects. It’s a given that the front offices in Anaheim, San Jose, Arizona, and Chicago will want a high-end name from what is one of the league’s top prospect pools, but Yzerman must simultaneously be thinking about the present and the future.
The Yzerplan, so far, has been about building a winner now and a winner in the future, and it must stay that way. So, which prospects must be on the “no-trade list” regardless of what’s offered? Here are four names that Yzerman must keep in the system so that they can continue to grow and become pivotal pieces of the Red Wings in the not-so-distant future.
Simon Edvinsson already has NHL experience and will add to Detroit’s blue line
With 11 games already completed in his NHL career, it's clear that Simon Edvinsson will inevitably help the Red Wings blue line. In those games, Edvinsson scored his first career goal and has two overall, along with an assist for three points. He’s also played sound defense, recording 14 hits, eight blocks, and four takeaways.
Since Detroit is still struggling in their own zone, Edvinsson will change the trajectory of a blue line that already has one ultra-productive player in Moritz Seider. Further, Shayne Gostisbehere is a pending unrestricted free agent, so if he doesn’t return, Edvinsson makes for a sound replacement.
Edvinsson continues to be a force for the Grand Rapids Griffins, with 27 points and eight goals in 46 contests. This is coming off the heels of a fine debut season in Grand Rapids when he had 27 points and five goals in 52 games.
Better yet, Edvinsson is doing all of this with a one minute increase in ice time while his overall game and hockey instincts in both zones have soared. Overall, there is no way Yzerman can trade a player who could land a full-time role in the Motor City next season and continue to grow his game at the next level.
Marco Kasper has figured out the North American game and will keep growing
The eighth-overall pick in 2022 made his NHL debut a season ago while playing most of the season on loan to the SHL’s Rogle BK. He was a sound contributor during his final professional season in Sweden, racking up 23 points and eight goals in 52 games before adding another three assists in nine playoff outings, and it’s something he will eventually parlay here in North America.
He struggled early this season with the Grand Rapids Griffins, but during those initial stages, it was all about adjusting to the North American game. He’s recently come on stronger, and given the fact that Kasper is just 19, he hasn’t even come close to unlocking his full potential. That says a lot about what he will eventually become at the AHL and, ultimately, the NHL level.
You saw this occur in the SHL when he scored just 11 times in 46 contests in 2021-22 before he more than doubled that point total last season. Now, he has 24 points and nine goals in 49 games for Grand Rapids, and there is a good chance he finishes the season with over a half-point per game.
Kasper’s overall calm demeanor stands out, and unlike many young players, you won't see him force anything. If he keeps up such a collected approach, it will serve him well should Yzerman keep him in the system and he finds himself playing full-time a year or two from today.
Sebastian Cossa may solve the Red Wings goaltending woes in time
Somebody needs to step up and be the answer in the crease for Detroit right now if they want to make a deep playoff run this season, but they may have a franchise goaltender waiting in the prospects pool. Sebastian Cossa is a player whose name you need to get familiar with if you haven’t done so because the 21-year-old should become ‘the guy’ later in the decade.
Cossa enjoyed an incredible career with the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings, and he was a force for the Toledo Walleye in the ECHL, recording four shutouts and 26 wins to go along with a 0.913 save percentage and a 2.56 GAA. Cossa more than duplicated those numbers in seven playoff games, finishing with a 0.917 save percentage, a 2.32 GAA, and a 5-2-0 record.
He’s also made a sound transition to Grand Rapids, securing 13 wins and a shutout for the Griffins, a 0.912 save percentage, plus a 2.57 GAA. Despite his relative youth and 6 '6 frame, Cossa has already shown off sound mobility, and it’s scary to think just how much better he will get once he gains more seasoning in the lower leagues.
If he can work on staying calm when he’s lining up in the crease and refusing to let small mistakes get to him, look for Cossa to take over games throughout his time in Grand Rapids. Thanks to his overall ability, productivity, and youth, there is no way Yzerman should insert him into a trade package.
Nate Danielson will be a future depth scorer at the absolute least
The ninth-overall pick in this past season’s draft already has the size you look for in the NHL at 6 '2, 187 lbs. And the fact he’s been rather productive in the WHL since 2021-22 shows us that once he’s eligible for the AHL, he should make a relatively smooth transition.
His stats aren’t outrageous, but they have remained over a point-per-game pace. And since he wore a ‘C’ during his time with the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings, it also shows that he possesses vocalness and leadership qualities. That speaks volumes for such a young player, and it also implies he will be a respected voice in any locker room.
Whether he increases his productivity to that of an effective top-six player or if he fares better on the middle-six or even a defensive line is irrelevant. Purpose is the best adjective to describe his game, whether he’s fighting for the puck along the boards or looking for a way to navigate through the neutral zone, so he will be a major contributor whether or not you see results on the stat sheet.
Not everyone figuring to earn a spot in an NHL lineup after a couple of seasons in the AHL - where he should end up next season - will put up a glamorous game, and Danielson may be that kind of player. But regardless of his role at the next level, look for the 19-year-old to become a sound contributor regardless of which zone he spends a lot of time in.
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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference and Elite Prospects as of March 1st)