It’s been a wild season in Hockeytown for reasons we don’t need to recap today, but with the Four Nations break, I decided to compile a prospect round-up. Last year, I provided some updates in the form of a league-by-league look at how players were progressing. This year, I decided to take on the fool’s errand of ranking Detroit’s prospects, which I think can help provide a little more context.
I first wanted to do this a couple of months ago when it looked like another lost season for the Red Wings because we are still in that dreaded “rebuild,” but things got more interesting fast at the NHL level. Still, the success of this particular team matters only so much – there are a lot of young players up right now who will benefit from checking that first playoff appearance box off the list. But the core of what will hopefully be Detroit’s next contending team is still learning the grind of the NHL or working their way up to that.
Overall, this is still as deep of a group as I can remember the Red Wings having – and industry experts agree, as they’re consistently ranked among the top two or three by those who task themselves with ranking each team’s prospect system. I find that exercise is great for assessing the top end of each team’s system, which makes sense – first- and second-round picks comprise the bulk of NHL rosters, especially among impact players. But there’s a depth to Detroit’s system that I think is hard to match — that’s not to say there are 20+ NHLers on this list, but there are many players with a good chance.
So let’s get into it. Today, I present what I see as the top 25 prospects in Detroit’s system, and an overview of how their season is going. I also included five players currently on Detroit’s roster – some would consider them “graduated,” but for this exercise, I still wanted the challenge of finding a place to slot them. Later this week, I’ll assemble some capsules on the rest players in the system, because I think there are plenty of interesting players outside this list and some may just be the victim of underexposure.
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1. Simon Edvinsson, Defense
1st round (6th overall), 2021
2024-25 Stats: Detroit (NHL) – 51 GP, 5-16-21, +11, 34 PIM
The term “prospect” hints at the future – but make no mistake, Edvinsson has already arrived. While not technically a rookie, Edvinsson’s first full NHL campaign has been a massive success, and I’d throw him in the Calder discussion if he were eligible – he’d be eighth in rookie scoring, comfortably second among defensemen. He was excellent on a pairing with Moritz Seider, but the progress he’s made since he was broken off onto the second pair is one of the top factors coinciding with Detroit’s post-coaching change surge.
The smooth-skating, slick-handed defenseman is developing as advertised. To make the inevitable comparison to Detroit’s other cornerstone defenseman, Moritz Seider, Edvinsson seems to like pinching and joining the rush a bit more. While he rarely gets burned doing so thanks to his speed in getting back, the remainder of the season (and beyond) will be for finetuning those instincts and reducing the burden of ridiculously tough deployment from Seider. In the long-term, Edvinsson with a little more strength could become an absolute beast, as we’ve seen him manhandle players occasionally in scrums, though he’s not yet to the overall physicality of Seider.
2. Nate Danielson, Center
1st round (9th overall), 2023
2024-25 Stats: Grand Rapids (AHL) – 47 GP, 4-20-24, +2, 29 PIM
If you regularly listen to the Friday edition of The Athletic Hockey Show, you’re familiar with the Danielson debate that prospect experts Corey Pronman and Scott Wheeler regularly engage in. Much like in his junior career with the Brandon Wheat Kings, Danielson’s counting stats do not match the eye test in his rookie pro campaign with the Griffins. Pronman, who in my eyes is generally harder to please when it comes to offensive skill, is still very high on Danielson and believes he can be a high-end offensive player at the next level. Wheeler is a little lower on him, finding it harder to ignore that the lower production than expected is a trend across multiple seasons.
If I weren’t a regular viewer of the Griffins, I’d be more concerned about the four goals for what I’m calling Detroit’s best offensive prospect – I’m definitely in Pronman’s camp in this debate. He’s generally one of Grand Rapids’ most dangerous-looking players, his vision and creativity are tops on the team. The Griffins are one of the AHL’s best teams, but they struggle to score. The power play isn’t great, and they recently were shut out in three straight games. With the early promotion of Kasper and long-term injuries to Mazur and Lombardi, they’ve been without several potential go-to players, and Danielson has manned the fort admirably as the team’s usual top-line center. Even as a first-round pick, it’s a lot of responsibility for one of the youngest players in the league. The details of his game are great – two-way responsibility, skates hard, forces turnovers, wins battles. I believe the instincts are too good, where he’ll produce when he’s surrounded with a little more high-end talent (no offense intended to the Dominik Shines, Joe Snivelys and Austin Watsons). And I wouldn’t be surprised if that starts down the stretch in the AHL this year as the team gets healthier.
3. Marco Kasper, Center
1st round (8th overall), 2022
2024-25 Stats: Detroit (NHL) – 50 GP, 9-11-20, -7, 20 PIM / Grand Rapids (AHL) – 2 GP, 1-1-2, +0, 7 PIM
Not to belabor the Danielson point, but one of the reasons I believe he’s on the right track is because it’s not too different than Kasper’s rookie season last year. Kasper, who had already played 2.5 seasons of pro hockey in Sweden, had relatively modest offensive totals before turning it on late in the season, looking like the team’s best player down the stretch and into the playoffs. He transitioned that into a great training camp, and while he didn’t make the team initially, he lasted all of two games with the Griffins before he was called up, almost certainly for good.
And much like last season, while Kasper looked great in a depth role, offense was scarce early in the season. Following the coaching change, he got an early look on the top line with Larkin and Raymond, and he hasn’t looked back. He’s answering the questions surrounding how much offense is in his game by scoring at a near point-per-game level on the top unit, primarily through his relentless work ethic and ability to retrieve pucks, but with plenty of subtle skill plays mixed in between his deceptive shot and passing ability. It seems likely that Detroit will probably want Kasper at center long-term, maybe finally filling the second-line center hole that has existed for an eternity, but if he ultimately can’t drive his own line (or, maybe, Danielson fills that role), it’s nice to know that he’s an option as a top-six winger.
4. Axel Sandin Pellikka, Defense
1st round (17th overall), 2023
2024-25 Stats: Skelleftea (SHL) – 37 GP 11-15-26, +0, 20 PIM / Sweden (WJC) – 7 GP, 4-6-10, +8, 6 PIM
Even coming off a strong 2023-24 where he helped Skelleftea to an SHL championship, it’s been a coming-out party for Sandin Pellikka, as he’s seen his role increase and his game improve at every level. He’s the highest-scoring prospect in the entire SHL, and is on track to author one of the top-10 most productive offensive seasons by a defenseman in SHL history, let alone a junior-aged player. He’s just four goals shy of the league record by a defenseman, as well. If that wasn’t enough, Sandin Pellikka captained and starred for Sweden at the WJC, where he was named the tournament’s best defenseman despite the personal disappointment of walking away without a medal.
Some would have him at 2 or 3 on a list like this, and I certainly put up much of an argument – Edvinsson is my top prospect, then 2-4 are a tier of their own. His offensive ability seems to be exactly what Detroit needs – a true power-play quarterback with the high-end skill that can break a game open. He’s proved anything he needs to overseas, and the only question is how the defense and size disadvantage translates to North America. There are a handful of examples of smaller defensemen putting up big numbers in the NHL today, but unfortunately more examples of guys who don’t make it or need extremely sheltered deployment to avoid being eaten alive. However, everything I’ve seen from Sandin Pellikka shows he’s quite defensively conscious – and the possibility of him joining Seider and Edvinsson as building blocks on the NHL roster as early as next season is very enticing.
5. Sebastian Cossa, Goalie
1st round (15th overall), 2021
2024-25 Stats: Grand Rapids (AHL) – 27 GP, 15-9-3, 2.25 GAA, 0.917 SV%, 1 SO / Detroit (NHL) – 1 GP, 1-0-0, 2.67 GAA, 0.857 SV%
Goalies are weird. There was a good two-year period when the hockey world had decided Detroit made a massive mistake in taking Cossa over Jesper Wallstedt. Suddenly, Cossa is an AHL All-Star on one of the league’s best teams, and Wallstedt is sputtering with an 0.871 save percentage, in and out of the lineup with injury. I’m not ready to say Cossa’s won the battle – both have looked potentially elite to me at different times. But with goalies, and prospects as a whole… a little more patience wouldn’t hurt. Every path is different.
Certainly, the slow rollout of Cossa appears to have been the right move. There was a period where it seemed Cossa’s confidence was easily shaken, three years into pro hockey, one bad goal rarely becomes two, and an off-night doesn’t seep into the next start. Cossa’s usage has been interesting, but he’s the starter – Ville Husso was red hot when he was sent down but has had a few rough outings of late, and Jack Campbell has been fairly steady in limited use. I’m assuming it’ll be Cossa’s crease to lose down the stretch and into what should be another playoff run for the team. He looks as confident as advertised from his junior days, and while I wouldn’t be shocked to see him in Grand Rapids for his last year of waiver exemption next season, I think Cossa is well on his way to becoming the guy in Detroit down the road.
6. Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, Winger
1st round (15th overall), 2024
2024-25 Stats: Skelleftea (SHL) – 33 GP, 5-6-11, -2, 49 PIM
Sandin Pellikka’s strong season overshadows an interesting fact: Skelleftea has been a bit of a mess this year, and unlike ASP, Brandsegg-Nygard has struggled to produce regularly. The defending champions have climbed back up the table, but they actually fired their coach in early November – quite a short leash after they had been so strong last year. It’s important to note that what ASP is doing is freakish – the SHL is not a kind league to young players, and MBN is technically a rookie, having spent his draft year in the Allsvenskan (second tier).
Food for thought: in his Draft+1 season, Lucas Raymond had six goals and 18 points in 34 games in the same league – not crazy far off from what MBN is pacing towards. From his brief stint in North America during this training camp, MBN showed off his big-league shot and relentless pace, so the production is not yet concerning. It sounded like the Red Wings wanted him in Grand Rapids this year, and it’s hard to think he wouldn’t have had an opportunity for a big role down there, with the injuries they’ve had. Given Skelleftea’s up-and-down year, I wouldn’t be surprised if MBN will be one-and-done and AHL-bound next season – if not before the end of this one, as the SHL wraps up a bit earlier than the AHL does.
7. Max Plante, Winger
2nd round (47th overall), 2024
2024-25 Stats: Minnesota-Duluth (NCHC) – 15 GP, 7-12-19, +4, 8 PIM / USA (WJC) – 6 GP, 1-2-3, +3, 4 PIM
I can see why the chatter on Plante is a bit quiet – he missed about two months due to injury, and his team, Minnesota-Duluth, is generally a strong program but typically built on older players than top prospects. But, being a local product and getting the chance to play with his older brother, that’s where Plante is, and since returning from injury, he’s lighting it up – four points off the team lead despite playing in about half of the team’s games. He only played a depth role at the WJC, but I think the fact that he made Team USA says a ton about his game – he wasn’t healthy enough for pre-camp, but he played well enough after returning from injury that they gave him a spot over players they were theoretically giving a closer look to.
I’ve only been able to catch a few of his games, but he’s electric – again, a great sign for a team that typically favors older players. He’s a pass-first, perimeter type, but he keeps it pretty simple, not a ton of turnovers or missed opportunities from overhandling. I think a full year next season will help his profile rise, especially if he can take an expanded role at the WJC as the United States bids for a third-straight gold. The next few wingers in this list are interchangeable to most, but at the moment Plante is my preference for how I think his game will translate to the next level.
8. Trey Augustine, Goalie
2nd round (41st overall), 2023
2024-25: Michigan State (B10) – 23 GP, 15-5-3, 2.07 GAA, 0.926 SV%, 2 SO / USA (WJC) – 5 GP – 4-1-0, 2.52 GAA, 0.917 SV%
The case for Augustine being a serial winner just won’t go away, as he was drafted following a 37-2-2 career record with the NTDP U18 team and has followed that up with a U18 gold medal, back-to-back WJC gold medals and a 38-14-5 record as a collegiate goaltender for the Spartans. Not sure this guy is familiar with the concept of a losing streak.
He’s in a similar boat to Sandin Pellikka, where he’s already so cemented atop the level he’s at that I’m unsure what he can do to improve his stock. Michigan State’s turnaround as a program coincides with his commitment flip from Michigan to MSU to play for his former NTDP coach, Adam Nightingale. After struggling for the better part of a decade, they became instant Big Ten contenders with Augustine as a freshman and have been nationally a top-ranked team for nearly the entire season in Augustine’s sophomore campaign. He’s lowered his GAA by nearly a full goal and improved his save percentage by .011. The real question is will Detroit sign him after this season to (likely) tandem with Cossa in Grand Rapids next year, or send him on a Hobey Baker, possible national championship-level quest as a junior for the Spartans and bring him in once Cossa (presumably) graduates (I’d wager the former). Augustine will always be slightly overlooked for slightly less-than-average size, but he’s yet to find a level of competition where his extremely calm, composed demeanor in net has set him back. I don’t know goalies, but I don’t see another team with two better bets than the Red Wings between Cossa and Augustine.
9. Dmitri Buchelnikov, Winger
2nd round (52nd overall), 2022
2024-25 Stats: Vityaz (KHL) – 53 GP, 13-31-44, -6, 10 PIM
Russian prospects continue to be a little mysterious, so while Buchelnikov’s breakout KHL season and frequent social media highlights are encouraging, there’s always a layer of hesitation for me based on how many top scorers come over and just can’t deal with the style of play. But I think this is a prospect fans should be excited about, and it’s a good look for the scouting staff for a pick that some draft analysts panned. He’s likely the most purely skilled player in Detroit’s system, but the physicality of North America is just different than Russia, even if the years of essentially hit-free games are over.
When Buchelnikov gets that chance is up in the air. He’s in the first year of a two-year contract, which had previously seemed pretty ironclad, though there are a few more recent examples of players being able to buy themselves out of their contracts. I don’t think there’s a huge rush, and it’s a good sign that Buchelnikov came to North America to work out with fellow prospects last summer. Unfortunately, the KHL season ends earlier than any other European league, and Vityaz doesn’t look like a playoff team, so he may only have a few games left. He looks set to finish top-20 in league scoring – the second-highest scoring prospect in the league and is just four points behind Montreal’s Ivan Demidov, who plays on a much more talented SKA team.
10. William Wallinder, Defense
2nd round (32nd overall), 2020
2024-25 Stats: Grand Rapids (AHL) – 38 GP, 2-13-15, -3, 4 PIM
It’s well-documented that Detroit has used a lot of high picks on defensemen, and (until a few more hit the NHL), no team has benefitted more than the Grand Rapids Griffins. Exit Moritz Seider, enter Simon Edvinsson. Exit Edvinsson and Albert Johansson… enter William Wallinder. Wallinder’s in his second year with the Griffins, playing a much bigger role after the NHL graduations of his fellow countrymen. The numbers aren’t eye-popping, but he’s a clear first-pair defenseman on a team that’s sat near the top of the AHL for the entire season.
His impact does remind me of Johansson’s from last season. While Edvinsson was more attention-grabbing with his puck ability, Johansson was incredibly steady, playing a mature defensive game, limiting mistakes, and moving the puck reliably. That’s the role that Wallinder has inherited this season. Working in his favor is that his tools are more NHL-level than Johansson – he’s bigger (6’4”) and a better skater. I’d give the hockey sense edge to Johansson, but I’ve seen much more of him since he’s been in North America longer. Wallinder is in the mix for a third-pair NHL future, with maybe a touch higher upside if he can find a little more offense in his game and continue adding strength.
11. Carter Mazur, Winger
3rd round (70th overall), 2021
2024-25 Stats: Grand Rapids (AHL) – 13 GP, 4-4-8, +1, 6 PIM
If you read enough of these blurbs, you’ll see the story of the Griffins’ season playing out in front of you. Fans were keeping a close eye on Mazur as someone could have pushed for an NHL job out of camp or an early-season callup, but things didn’t play out that way. Mazur was the victim of a dirty headshot during the third game of the season and was sidelined for just over three months, finally returning to play in late January. It’s always discouraging when a career goon can derail a legitimate prospect’s season, but that’s life in the AHL.
Mazur had a slow start once returning from the lineup, but he looks to be coming alive lately, with three goals and four points in his last four games. It’s a bummer for a Griffins team that, as mentioned, has struggled to score. The presence of Mazur should really bolster the power play, and he could help bump Danielson’s numbers up a bit now that he’s back. But that’s the important part – he’s back and returning to play at the most important time of year. He demonstrated during last year’s playoff that he’s built for that kind of hockey – chippy, always around the net, always finishing hits. He’s still an appealing option for Detroit’s middle-six in the next couple of seasons, and has so far shown he has the offensive chops to complement skill players well.
12. Shai Buium, Defense
2nd round (36th overall), 2021
2024-25 Stats: Grand Rapids (AHL) – 44 GP, 0-15-15, +5, 8 PIM
After two national championships in three seasons with Denver, Buium has made a smooth transition to the professional ranks, establishing himself as a regular on a deep Griffins blueline (the obvious strength of the team) and gaining more confidence as the season progresses. Like Wallinder, with limited offensive production, he’s likely on track to compete for a third-pair job at the next level, but I wouldn’t call either one-dimensional. Buium in particular has pretty slick hands – not in the same league as younger brother Zeev, a Minnesota prospect currently torturing the NCAA – but he can get himself out of trouble and shows great patience in waiting for his outlet passes.
Buium’s also had pro size essentially since he was drafted – 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds – and isn’t afraid to throw the body, but doesn’t necessarily look for it. If Wallinder ends up getting a look in Detroit at some point next season, it seems Buium will keep that high draft pick pipeline going and can hopefully continue to expand his role.
13. Amadeus Lombardi, Center
4th round (113th overall), 2022
2024-25 Stats: Grand Rapids (AHL) – 20 GP, 9-6-15, -4, 2 PIM
The jump from major junior right to the AHL might be the hardest in hockey, and that’s something that I have to remind myself of at times despite working in the AHL for a time and watching the Griffins regularly ever since. Last season, I was slightly skeptical while some got excited for Lombardi, who was capable of dazzling high-skill plays, but ended his debut professional season with five goals in 70 games. The hallways of AHL history are littered with 50-goal, 100-point junior players who vanish off the prospect radar once the skill advantage they’ve coasted by on their entire lives is reduced. It’s harder to create offense in the AHL if you don’t win battles, go to the hard areas, and all the other cliches you hear coaches use that are boring but unfortunately true.
However, Lombardi was well on his way to proving he’s in the minority of that type of player who appears he can adjust his game enough to continue to flourish. He nearly doubled his rookie-year goal total in just 20 games and looked to be the Griffins’ most dangerous player early on, but like Mazar, his season was derailed by an upper-body injury. From what I saw, he was hurt on more of a fluke play, but he’s been MIA since Dec. 1. AHL teams don’t typically provide injury timelines, but a recent Griffins broadcast shared Lombardi is back to practicing with the team. Whether that means he’s days away or a few weeks remains to be seen, but the combination of Mazar and Lombardi back in the lineup and rolling again before the playoffs begin is great news for a Griffins team with the talent to make an extended run.
14. Jonatan Berggren, Winger
2nd round (33rd overall), 2018
2024-25 Stats: Detroit (NHL) – 53 GP, 9-8-17, -7, 12 PIM
The challenge I brought onto myself by including some players others would consider graduated is what I may inadvertently suggest about those ahead of them in the rankings. Berggren is the most senior example of this, as a player with 132 games of NHL experience who will be 25 this summer, but having spent all but seven games in the AHL last season, is a player I’ve been monitoring as a “prospect.” We all essentially know what he is at this point, and I’m not suggesting that other similar skilled forwards ranked around here will be better than Berggren – in fact, they might be lucky to even get to where Berggren is currently as a top-nine forward. It’s more that we know pretty well the limitations of Berggren’s game at the NHL level, and if everything works out for the Mazurs, Lombardis and Finnies around this rank, maybe they can be slightly more effective.
I still have hope for Berggren though, who is among the many players that has looked better under McLellan than he did under Lalonde. I felt the extended time he saw in Grand Rapids last season really helped his game, as he was commanding the puck in a way I hadn’t seen from him in North America, playing huge minutes and scoring clutch goals for the team down the stretch and into the playoffs. At the NHL level, that’s shown itself in a game that is probably more well-rounded overall than his true “rookie” season in 2022-23, but he’s yet to catch fire offensively, chipping in from the third line and occasionally showing some chemistry with Tarasenko. I’d like to see where his confidence is at if he can find a 10-game stretch where he’s on the scoresheet more regularly, but until then, he’s a useful middle-six winger who can make plays on the second power play whose role is in jeopardy as more prospects advance towards the NHL.
15. Albert Johansson, Defense
2nd round (60th overall), 2019
2024-25 Stats: Detroit (NHL) – 34 GP, 1-4-5, -3, 8 PIM
The same caveats for Berggren above apply to Johansson, who is older for this list but still settling in as a true rookie. I think it’s a little understated how difficult it is for an undersized defenseman to find an NHL role when they don’t have elite offense in their game and aren’t a specialist in any other fashion, like a shot-blocker, puck transporter, etc. There was a time when they were a bit more common as the classic behemoth immobile defensive defenseman went the way of the dinosaur, but the problem is those types of players started taking the same private skating lessons and skill development camps, making NHL teams go right back to picking the 6’4” guy by default for the third pair, if everything else is equal. I was a little worried about what he’d look like, comparing him to someone like Gustav Lindstrom, who was even a bit bigger and loved playing physically but offered little offensively and was prone to the occasional defensive lapse.
Surely, the trust of his coaches has something to do with it, but I also didn’t feel Johansson was doing much in the first few months of the season to seize a role – especially compared with how he looked right before the break. Once he was reunited with frequent Griffins partner Edvinsson, he’s really come around, looking more confident with the puck and just looking stronger in front of the net, winning more battles and, obviously, showing that Detroit is playing better with him in that role than they were when he was not. The challenge for him going forward is to maintain that consistency, and since he’s now on his offhand in an era when teams pretty strongly stick to left/right-handed pairings, proving that he’s still a better option to stick with Edvinsson than an upcoming free agent (or Sandin Pellikka). Otherwise, he’ll have to hope that the confidence he’s gaining now will allow him to positively impact a third pair that’s been a rotating door for Detroit for a long time.
16. Jesse Kiiskinen, Winger
3rd round (68th overall), 2023 by Nashville
2024-25 Stats: HPK (Liiga) – 38 GP, 12-24-36, +1, 28 PIM / Finland (WJC) – 7 GP, 6-1-7, -1, 0 PIM
Here’s a cool trick you can use the next time you’re at a party and you hear someone say the Red Wings traded Jake Walman for nothing (commonly said at parties). To win friends, say – just like this – “well ackshully”– and drop this on them: the Red Wings first traded Andrew Gibson (a former second-round pick) for a second-round pick and Jesse Kiiskinen (a former third-round pick), then dealt that second to get out of Walman’s contract. That’s felt overlooked to me all season (at least until complaining about that trade slowed when the team took off) because Gibson and Kiiskinen were fairly even in terms of value and allowed Detroit to use part of its prospect system strength (defensive defensemen) to address a weakness (natural goal scorers).
Kiiskinen has been just that, leading his team in scoring by six points despite missing 12 games due to the WJC and a brief injury. The Finnish league is a little more apt to give young players significant roles than Sweden, but it’s still fairly uncommon to see a 19-year-old leading his team in scoring. He also led Finland and ranked second among all players at the WJC with six goals in seven games, en route to capturing a silver medal. He’s shown he’s a natural goalscorer, chipping in plenty around the net and regularly beating goalies from a distance. His skating is fairly average, though, so I’m expecting some seasoning needed at the next level. He’s a pretty young 19, so it’ll be interesting to see if the Red Wings sign him to start him in Grand Rapids next year or give him one more year in Finland.
17. Emmitt Finnie, Center
7th round (201st overall), 2023
2024-25 Stats: Kamloops (WHL) – 44 GP, 29-39-68, +2, 18 PIM
There was quite a run of consecutive Griffins and recently graduated Griffins on this list from 10-15, and maybe that shows some bias as the AHL is the non-NHL league that I watch the most, followed by college (though those are mostly first- and second-round picks). But I’ve made a point to catch some late-night WHL games and have found Finnie to be as advertised – he’s one of the top all-around WHL players, leading his team in scoring by a decent clip and sitting 18th in the league overall.
He’ll ultimately land somewhere around a 40-goal, 90-point clip on a team currently on the outside looking into the playoff picture (who don’t typically upset top-seeded seeds in junior hockey, since those teams load up at the deadline). But he plays a very honest game, definitely plenty of skill and competent as both a playmaker and a shooter. He’ll face the same steep climb mentioned above with Lombardi once he hits the pro ranks next year, but I think he has a more mature two-way game and should be able to contribute right away. The Red Wings already signed him to an ELC last year, which is a sign they’re pretty high on him, and the silver lining of potentially being on a non-playoff team is he could slot into a depth role for Grand Rapids once his season is over.
18. Dylan James, Winger
2nd round (40th overall), 2022
2024-25 Stats: North Dakota (NCHC) – 29 GP, 11-8-19, +0, 20 PIM
We’re starting to get into the most interesting part of the list – most casual observers would probably have nearly everyone I have listed above on this list, but the remainder is where the most interesting debates are – I’ve probably moved 14 players around the last eight slots. James is the highest of that group because he was the biggest “no-brainer” remaining to include here. He’s a guy to me where the stats don’t match the eye test – he’s always stood out at UND with the speed and energy he plays with, but as older players and higher picks have moved on, he’s a junior and a go-to guy.
He’s already matched his career offensive highs with another month and change to play, coming on a team having a bit of a down year (which means hovering around .500 when you’re a college hockey blueblood). His confidence with the puck has noticeably improved and he has the shot to chip in even more. I think what stands out is his relentlessness on the puck and his physical play, he definitely has the makings of a future energy line player at the next level. Whether you want more from a second-round pick is another debate, but I think he’ll get a contract this summer or next and will be interesting to watch develop at the next level because there’s definitely skill in his game, and it’s just a matter of how much.
19. Elmer Soderblom, Winger
6th round (159th overall), 2019
2024-25 Stats: Detroit (NHL) – 9 GP, 2-3-5, +1, 0 PIM
The last of the five “rookies” currently on the NHL roster, even if two of them technically aren’t, Soderblom’s season has been fascinating. He went 20 games without scoring to start the year in Grand Rapids and was frequently invisible when I tuned in. As a third-year AHL player, that’s usually the sign it’s time to write a guy off. Two months later, he’s Detroit’s third-line left wing and has given the team no reason to send him back down. I’m not sure what clicked, but it clicked in a hurry and that’s why I like to keep tabs on every prospect – the margins from league to league can be razor-thin.
Red Wings fans saw what Soderblom can bring when he made the team out of camp three years ago, but the time since has been a frustrating mix of injury, inconsistent play, and bouncing all over the Griffins lineup. Around the time he caught fire in the AHL, he started playing much more physically – frequently on the same line as Austin Watson, who is another big body (by mortal standards) who found a way to stick around the NHL for a long time by doing that. Being able to bring energy and cause havoc around the puck is what will help Soderblom stick beyond what is just a nine-game sample right now, because he’ll always have the hands and reach to be dangerous around the net – he just needs to make sure he’s doing more than just that.
20. Ondrej Becher, Center
3rd round (80th overall), 2024
2024-25 Stats: Grand Rapids (AHL) – 35 GP, 3-5-8, -6, 6 PIM
Becher’s a rare case of a player playing in the AHL the season after he was drafted, since he’s already 20 and was passed over in the draft twice. Teams couldn’t ignore him after a 96-point WHL season and strong WJC in 2023-24, but he ended up in another interesting spot coming into the season. An ankle injury sidelined him for all of training camp and for the first month of the season, so the Red Wings had a decision to make on whether to start him in Grand Rapids without ever having worked on-ice, or send him back for an overage season in the WHL. They decided to leave him in the AHL, and signed him to an entry-level contract within a couple of months.
The production has been modest, but again – rinse and repeat – Grand Rapids has struggled to score. At some point that is an indictment on the roster, but you definitely can’t blame a first-year player who was thrown into the fire without a training camp and preseason to find his legs at the pro level. He’s mostly playing a bottom-six role without a ton of power play looks, but he’ll continue to grow into that as he earns the coaching staff’s trust. For now, it appears that getting into pro hockey was probably a smarter choice for Becher than returning to a WHL that he lit up last season.
21. Antti Tuomisto, Defense
2nd round (35th overall), 2019
2024-25 Stats: Grand Rapids (AHL) – 43 GP, 2-18-20, +1, 26 PIM
Tuomisto’s now a third-year pro and second-year Griffin and there’s a lot to like about his game – I just feel Wallinder and Buium have passed him up should Detroit need a depth defenseman. Being a right-handed shot plays into Tuomisto’s favor, though, and I’ve been watching him a little closer since the absence of Jeff Petry leaves Detroit with only Seider and Holl as naturals on the right. Tuomisto’s a big body and is solid with the puck, outscoring both Wallinder and Buium this year, but his skating isn’t quite at the same level, and I see more defensive warts in his game.
Still, he does see a lot of PP time for the Griffins and that could be something that makes him more appealing for the next level, he can run a second power-play unit because his shot is a big weapon. Tuomisto’s future hinges on his ability to get a little stronger in his own end and continue improving his footwork. He’s improved in both of these regards since I first saw him play in college, but it’s just an area that will need continued refinement to get to the NHL.
22. Anton Johansson, Defense
4th round (105th overall), 2022
2024-25 Stats: Leksands (SHL) – 37 GP, 4-4-8, +1, 50 PIM
The wave of reinforcements on the blueline after the current generation in GR sorts itself out should include Johansson – much bigger and of no relation to current Red Wing Albert. Last season was much more noteworthy for Johansson, but that’s kind of the deal once you age out of the junior ranks. In 2023-24, Johansson was the only non-first-round pick to crack Sweden’s WJC team after never previously playing for the national club (and these teams tend to come up together with their age group). He went on to crack the lineup and was impactful in a depth role for his physical play.
He’s having a similar year statistically for Leksand, where he’s logged 2.5 pro seasons and steadily seen his minutes increase over time. The Red Wings have two more years to decide on a contract, but based on how he’s progressed since he was drafted, I’d expect he’ll eventually be signed and brought over to North America. The offensive ceiling is limited, but he’s responsible with the puck, skates well and loves physical play, so he has a role at the next level if he continues progressing.
23. Noah Dower Nilsson, Winger
3rd round (73rd overall), 2023
2024-25 Stats: Frolunda (SHL) – 30 GP, 4-4-8, -3, 8 PIM
The most important stat for Dower Nilsson is easily the games played column – 30 this season after just 8 games combined last year between the SHL, Allsvenskan and Swedish junior league. That’s a lost season, especially being spread over three leagues where no one is going to be able to find a role or get in a rhythm. So while he’s still missed a dozen or so games this year, he hasn’t been out any extended periods and some of those are probably the result of playing on a deep Frolunda team with championship aspirations – not always a situation where a team is prioritizing ice time for prospects (though Frolunda has one of the better development track records in Sweden).
Getting back on the radar is a good step forward, and Dower Nilsson is still just 19. It’s unfortunate that he was overlooked for the WJC team after previously contributing to a strong U18 club in his draft season, but it’s easy to understand why. Dower Nilsson is a highly-skilled playmaker who is a little undersized, but is one of the big mid-round swings at skill the Red Wings have taken over the last few drafts. This one hasn’t paid off yet, but he’ll have up to two more years in Sweden before Detroit needs to make a decision and establishing himself as an SHL regular is a good first step.
24. Carter Gylander, Goalie
7th round (191st overall), 2019
2024-25 Stats: Toledo (ECHL) – 21 GP, 15-5-4, 2.59 GAA, 0.908 SV%, 2 SO / Grand Rapids (AHL) – 3 GP, 2-1-0, 3.49 GAA, 0.890 SV%
Gylander is a first-year pro after a four-year collegiate career at Colgate and is off to a strong start, even if he’s pretty buried on the depth chart. With Grand Rapids carrying three goalies between Husso/Cossa/Campbell, Gylander has started in Toledo and is splitting time with Jan Bednar, who is not officially a Red Wings prospect anymore, but is clearly still being monitored by the organization as they’ve kept him around on an AHL contract. Regardless of the logjam, it was probably always Gylander’s best path to playing regularly, and Detroit is clearly pleased with the ECHL-to-AHL path they previously established with Cossa.
Gylander has a slightly better record (13-4-4 vs. 19-7-3), but Bednar has a slight edge in GAA and SV%. Either way, both have good numbers relative to the rest of the league as Toledo remains an absolute juggernaut in the ECHL. The Walleye are less than an hour from my house (and I highly recommend checking them out if you’re a metro Detroiter – an elite in-arena experience and entertaining product), so I get to a handful of games and think it’s a great place for a goalie to develop. There are a lot of talented offensive players who have just aged out of a significant role in the AHL over teams who want to play prospects, but defense can get a little chaotic… so goalies are in a good spot to see a lot of high-level shots and, I think, probably benefit from a little chaos in front of them. Gylander will be in the mix for the AHL next year, but the potential of Augustine joining the Griffins next season does complicate his path to expanded playing time.
25. Red Savage, Center
4th round (114th overall), 2021
2024-25 Stats: Michigan State (B10) – 20 GP, 5-6-11, +6, 6 PIM
Our final ranked prospect comes with a downer note, as Savage is the senior captain of the No. 1 ranked Spartans, but his college career is likely over as he’s out with a long-term injury. No word on if there’s any chance of getting back should MSU go on a long postseason run, but college playoffs run just a few weekends (and are single-elimination) so it certainly doesn’t sound good.
The resume Savage compiled is certainly worthy of an entry-level contract. He represented Team USA twice at the WJC and doubled his offensive point totals after transferring from Miami to Michigan State prior to his junior season. Then to be named captain after just one year at a program says a lot – and tracks with what people have said about Savage at every level regarding his impact: he’s an elite teammate and dressing-room guy. The only thing working against him is just sheer numbers, as there are a handful of other forwards above that are in contention to join the Griffins for next season, and Savage projects as more of an energy-line player. I still think his overall game is enough where he’s worth a contract – and maybe the resume speaks for itself and it’s silly to debate. But years of surplus draft picks can lead to tough decisions, so we’ll see what happens to the coolest name in the system.
