A lot has happened since 2019 -- both with the Detroit Red Wings and life in general.
Every player the Red Wings drafted from 2019 to now has either joined the NHL or flown the coop.
All but one, that is.
A seventh round pick at 191st overall, Carter Gylander has been developing for years. In no rush, the mature goaltender has his sights set on a full time roster spot with the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Despite the selections of Sebastian Cossa and Trey Augustine in later drafts and the signing of Detroit’s favorite new goalie Michal Postava, Gylander chose to remain with the Red Wings organization.
Don't forget Carter Gylander
Perhaps extending with the Wings’ organization was his only option. Or perhaps he feels comfortable both in Grand Rapids and with the Toledo Walleye -- where he’s spent most of his professional career. Why not come back?
At any rate, as a Gylander fan, I was over the moon.
Born in Beaumont, Alberta, Canada, on June 5, 2001, Gylander stands at 6’5” and weighs 190 lbs. Contrary to the smaller-framed Augustine and Postava, Gylander is a perfect mold for the standard of goalies in the NHL.
Gylander made a few pit stops along the way in AA, AAA,and AJHL hockey before finding himself at Colgate University for the 2020-21 season. He spent four seasons there, playing 106 games with an a goals against average (GAA) of 2.71 and an average save percentage (SV%) of 0.906 with a 46-46-13 record.
After completing his fourth season for Colgate, Gylander had the chance to sign with any team if he so chose. Despite the variety of options available to him, he chose to stick with the team that drafted him.
Gylander's professional career began in the 2024-25 season. Since then, he's spent time with both the Grand Rapids Griffins and Toledo Walleye, posting the following stat lines:
Team | Games played | GAA | SV% | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Toledo | 69 | 2.46 | .910 | 40-19-10 |
Grand Rapids | 12 | 2.01 | .918 | 10-1-2 |
This season, Gylander has appeared in one game for the Walleye (5.02 GAA and a .844 SV% in a 6-3 loss to the Fort Wayne Comets) and one game for the Griffins (2.00 GAA and .923 SV%, a 5-2 win over the Cleveland Monsters).
Rather than looking at it negatively, Gylander has flipped the experience into a positive. In his media availability after Saturday's game, the goaltender shared that he has two sets of teams and teammates. He enjoys seeing the returning players just as much as he enjoys meeting the new guys.
While not cocky, Gylander is confident and realizes that he has played well in his stints with the Griffins last season. Griffins players keep things predictable, and they do a great job of helping Gylander to see the puck well.
As much of an impression as Grand Rapids has made on Gylander, he too has impressed both Grand Rapids fans and its coaching staff alike. They seem comfortable playing him on any given night, and for good reason.
Gylander is nothing but persistent in his quest to the NHL. Let's hope that both he and the Detroit Red Wings can benefit from this (possible) graduation.
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