If Dmitri Buchelnikov were in North America this season, I wouldn't have ranked him No. 3 on the most exciting prospects list. No. Buchelnikov would've been my undisputed No. 1, and I may've even pegged him in to begin the season on the Detroit Red Wings big club.
Call me overly optimistic, but Buchelnikov's the most pro-ready prospect in the Red Wings system, and that includes Axel Sandin-Pellikka. The 52nd-overall pick in 2022 brings a smaller build, clocking in at a modest 5'10, 170 lbs, but with that small size comes incredible skating.
And if you want the Wings to bring in one more highlight-reel player who could sidle into their top six, maybe once he's over here, I wouldn't put it past Buchelnikov. I mean, he looked good when playing on loan in the KHL with Admiral Vladivostok in 2023-24, putting up 13 goals and 29 points in 55 games.
Dmitri Buchelnikov is a brewing storm in the Detroit Red Wings prospects pool
Last season saw 15 goals in 65 games. Not much of a jump from 2023-24 in the goal-scoring realm, but Buchelnikov's playmaking skyrocketed, and he ended up with 39 assists. That's where he could shine in the NHL, even if his goal-scoring could see a nice uptick this season with CSKA Moskva.
And if it does, I'm expecting, easily might I add, a 60-70-point season, and one that'll ignite fans' excitment for Buchelnikov to sign with Detroit in the offseason and take the Motor City by storm. Sure, he'll have his work cut out for him, but right now in terms of upside, I'm giving him the edge over great players like Nate Danielson and Max Plante.
The drawback is that he'll need to figure things out on North American ice, and that could take a minute. So, while it wouldn't surprise me if he caught on quickly and ended up in Detroit's top six, I also won't be so bold and deny a learning curve; he'll still face one, regardless.
Looking forward to an intense training camp in 2026
Still, players like Nate Danielson and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard will need an outstanding camp if there are only so many lineup spots to go around heading into 2026-27. And something tells me, with the Yzerplan moving forward this and definitely season, that will be the case.
But hey, the more competition there is, the more these players will bring out the best in one another. So, I'm all for Buchelnikov getting over here and acclimated in North America the second he's eligible.