Review of Detroit Red Wings prospects

The Red Wings final roster is pretty much set to start the 2024-25 season this Thursday night vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins. Unfortunately for us Red Wings fans, that means some of our favorite players got sent back to the minor leagues. I’m not all that upset about it. I just want them to ice the team that gives them the best chance to win now and in the future. I think that’s what they’re doing, but I was impressed by the prospects and hope to see them playing in the big leagues sometime soon.

Reviewing prospects who might play games in the NHL this season

Marco Kasper is probably the leading candidate, at least in my eyes, to be the first call-up if they need a forward. I’m not too upset that he got sent back down to the Grand Rapids Griffins for some more seasoning. It was nice to see some progression in his game during the preseason.

Seems like he’s finding his niche in how he can be effective at the center ice position.

He’s probably not a guy who is going to drive a line by himself like Dylan Larkin, but with the right linemates, I think he’s the type of player who can wreak havoc in the offensive zone.

The way he shrinks the ice and zaps up any space almost instantly is going to create lots of turnovers leading directly to opportunities for either himself or a teammate. Maybe he's not quite there yet or maybe it’s about finding the right linemates for him. Also, more opportunities to log extra ice time against weaker opponents in the AHL could help with some fine-tuning. The consistency in his game is starting to take shape and that was nice to see.

Nate Danielson looks amazing already. Probably more about maturing physically while playing at the pro ranks. I don’t want to see him getting knocked off pucks too easily or in danger of getting injured along the boards. It's probably best that he learns to take contact and deliver contact more effectively, which is not something he was challenged with in the WHL playing with people his own age.

Super happy with this year’s first-round pick Michael Brandsegg-Nygard. Interestingly, he came to training camp since his SHL team had already started their regular season. It’s rare to see European prospects come over at this time of year. Another example of how you can never predict what Steve Yzerman’s next move will be.

Anyway, that was awesome to see him play with the other prospects and amazing for his development. I saw massive growth from him just in the training camp/preseason time period.

Speaking of his SHL team, Skellefteå, too bad we didn’t get to see Axel Sandin-Pellikka, but if his international play is any indication of his projection, he’ll be in North America soon. 

Amadeus Lombardi was easily the best player in the preseason.

Maybe a bit underrated because he missed an entire season during the CHL shutdown during the COVID year. He’s exciting: has the moves, the speed, the handles, and the finishing ability.

It's so much fun to watch this player. He scored 102 points in 67 games with the Flint Firebirds in 2021-22. Spent last year tiptoeing around the ice in the AHL. I would have been shocked to see Lombardi make the team this year. If he brings what I saw in the preseason this year I can definitely see him having a massive breakout year in the AHL which would definitely strengthen his case to break into the NHL. 

Man, I really want to see Elmer Söderblom on the Red Wings. Every time Söderblom steps onto the ice the entire complexion of the play changes.

Even more so when he gets the puck on his stick. I think this characteristic is extremely valuable at the NHL level. He seems to have chemistry with Larkin to boot. Now, he probably wouldn’t play on a line with Larkin but if they could get them on the ice at the same time with clever line changes it could be a home run.

It’s his size that sets him apart for sure. It’s extremely valuable to be big as a hockey player. Yes, smaller players can make it in the league today, but size is still an advantage. The thing is that what we almost always say with bigger players is that they need to learn to use their size more effectively, they need to learn to handle the puck better, and big guys need to improve their skating. ELMER DOES ALL OF THOSE THINGS!

Plus I like his personality. 

William Wallinder flies under the radar a bit.

We don’t hear his name too often on the broadcasts but I thought he was the number two defenseman behind Simon Edvinsson last year in Grand Rapids. He just looks like a pro.

Simple plays, few mistakes, gets the puck out of trouble, and keeps the front of the net clean for his goaltender. The moment never seems too big for him. Maybe the most poised player in the prospect pool. 

Sebastian Cossa is at least another year away from competing for a spot. Still seeing growth in his game which is all you can really ask of a young goaltender. He’s definitely improving and has improved each time I’ve seen him play. It’s just hard as a goalie and they have a longer development curve. 

Same can be said for Carter Mazur. He looks good and is improving for sure but at least a year away from competing for a roster spot in my eyes. 

There are some unsigned prospects either in college or playing in Europe including Brady Cleveland, Dylan James, Dimitri Buchelnikov, Red Savage, the Dower-Nilsson brothers, and Trey Augustine. Haven’t seen them play much but they are at least on my radar. 

So that’s it, my official appraisal of the prospect pool as of today.

There are just so many prospects that are either NHL-ready or very close to NHL-ready that it makes me wonder if there are deadline deals to be made here. It’s a little early probably to formulate real ideas.

They would first have to be in a playoff position but if they are then I could definitely come up with a way to move a couple of them either IN the league or OUT of the organization to improve our chances in the playoffs.