The Detroit Red Wings have one of the deepest prospect pipelines in the NHL. That should be no surprise after a nearly decade-long rebuild. Many of the prospects and draft picks accrued over the years have graduated to the NHL and made an impact on the club already.
But there’s another prospect that could have a significant bearing on the team in the not-too-distant future. That prospect is Eddie Genborg.
The 18-year-old Genborg was the Red Wings’ second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. He’s currently playing in Sweden, putting up solid totals. He’s scored eight goals and 15 points in 26 games. It’s worth noting he’s still a teenager playing in a professional men’s league. So, the numbers are more impressive than they seem.
Elite Prospects describes Genborg as, “Genborg is a physical two-way forward with a strong forechecking presence and good finishing instincts around the net. He hustles hard and throws his weight around on the forecheck, controls the cycle by sealing off pucks and dealing with back pressure and finds ways to win body positioning in the net front.”
Reading between the lines, that description says: Power forward.
At 6’2” and 198 pounds, the potential is there for Genborg to grow into one. That potential has not gone unnoticed by The Athletic’s Max Bultman, who had this to say about Genborg:
“The Red Wings’ 2025 second-round pick was drafted for how hard he could be to play against, with size, skating and physicality on the forecheck. And none of that has changed. However, his stock is rising this season because of how much offense he’s been able to produce in the SHL at age 18. His 15 points in 26 games are third among all U20 skaters in the league, behind only Ivar Stenberg and Anton Frondell.”
The ETA on Genborg likely puts him at least a couple of seasons away from really getting a shot at the NHL. Red Wings fans could see the Swedish forward at some time in 2027 or 2028. By then, he’ll be 20 and most likely ready to terrorize the Atlantic Division.
By then, practically the entire Red Wings’ roster could be a collection of the team’s own prospects, drafted and developed in-house. It’s certainly interesting to consider just how talented Detroit could be, with more and more prospects coming up the pipeline in the following seasons.