It was an eventful weekend for the Red Wings, just not in the ways that some expected. Detroit found its way back into the first round by parting with a former first-rounder and added seven new players to the organization through five forwards, one defenseman and one goaltender. Let’s run down the key moments from the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.
No news is no news on Larkin
Dylan Larkin didn’t need to be traded this weekend, but it was a favorable window in that any team capable of moving a first-round pick is always more willing to do so when they know exactly where that pick will be, and they aren’t giving up a chance at lottery luck. As Friday’s first round went later and later, the writing on the wall was that Larkin was staying put this weekend.
There were a couple of updates that mostly amount to non-updates, but we heard our first public comments from both Steve Yzerman and Larkin’s agent, Pat Brisson. Yzerman addressed it how you’d expect, by informing the media at his post-draft presser that he would only take questions on the draft picks. He did confirm the trade request, not that it was in doubt, and essentially indicated he would make a move that benefits the Red Wings without any guarantees on when (or if) anything would come together. As much as it’s going to be a relief when this is done and both parties can move on, it’s the right answer from Yzerman in my view… His leverage all comes from letting interested (and NTC-approved) parties know that he’ll move Larkin when they make it worthwhile for Detroit.
The Athletic’s Max Bultman and Pierre LeBrun also received comments from Brisson that indicated this is about as cordial as these matters get; all parties are working together to find a solution. No timelines, which may hold up other business for the Red Wings, but most important is getting this one right.
Some activity around the league from potential Larkin suitors should be noted, though.
- The Minnesota Wild didn’t do anything of note and appears to be the leader in the Larkin sweepstakes, especially reading between the lines of information written by The Athletic’s Michael Russo, who is very plugged in there. My guess is that they are looking to make a move with another team for at least one more asset that Detroit would want, since they don’t have enough right now.
- Vegas, which also has very little to give up, shipped winger Pavel Dorofeyev to the NY Rangers for a package that included the 26th overall pick and a 2028 first. They still seem like they don’t have an enticing return, but if they’re interested in Larkin, that was the first move in what might need to be a couple more to assemble a suitable return.
- Dallas had agreed to a trade with Seattle for Jason Robertson, but he declined to sign an extension there. It sounds less and less like a Robertson-for-Larkin deal is realistic, but if they do manage to move him, it’ll be a lot easier for them to take on Larkin’s salary (presumably with some additional assets to flip to Detroit).
- Utah, which I’m still leery are on Larkin’s list, moved JJ Peterka for 23rd overall (the pick they traded to Detroit) and Florida’s 2028 first. Utah already had more than enough to complete a Larkin deal, but it’s worth noting when a prospective trade partner frees up cap space and adds more futures.
Cossa and Lombardi depart
The Red Wings parted ways with a pair of prospects who would have needed to clear waivers if they were not on next year’s NHL roster, and neither was a huge surprise.
The smaller move came when the Red Wings traded Amadeus Lombardi to the New Jersey Devils for a fourth-round pick (108th overall). It basically recoups Lombardi’s original value, taken 113th overall in 2022. It’s a bummer that he never saw NHL time, since he had a few impressive preseasons and was often Grand Rapids’ best offensive prospect. However, he was also frequently injured, and after his latest return from the IR this spring, he was pretty flat down the stretch and into the playoffs when he could have cemented his rise up the depth chart.
Ultimately, I would have rather given him a look and lost him on waivers than picking up a longshot draft pick, but with Carter Mazur, Michael Brandsegg-Nygard and Nate Danielson also on the cusp of full-time jobs, on top of potential prospects coming in the Larkin trade, there are only so many spots to go around where even making the 23-man roster this fall was looking like a tall task. A disappointing but reasonable move.
Cossa is a tougher pill to swallow for some fans, but I think the value here is excellent. A 2021 first-rounder, Cossa was shipped for the 23rd overall pick that Detroit used to select J.P. Hurlbert — a high-skill swing that helps address their biggest need in the pipeline. Like Lombardi, I’d have loved to see him get a longer audition than his one relief appearance, but the Red Wings were in such must-win mode for most of the second half, it never felt like there was a great opportunity to audition a rookie.
On top of that, Cossa’s excellent numbers were helped by a stacked Griffins defense (a team that was on an AHL-record pace for much of the season), and as much as he was holding his own, he was behind a much deeper defense than a typical AHL team has. Their depth took a hit — but was still very good — once the Red Wings traded Justin Holl (laugh if you want, but he was very reliable in GR) and Ian Mitchell, and Cossa started to slip (an unfortunate trend from previous years). Michal Postava, who missed a few months with injury, was also rounding into form and just appeared to be the better option, ending up playing the entirety of a two-round playoff run for the Griffins.
That’s not just a decision made by the Griffins’ coaching staff, I’m sure Red Wings management had a say in whether their long-term investment should be on the bench, so it shows a lack of confidence as well as belief in Postava, who looked very steady in what’s ultimately a fairly small sample size of 33 combined games in North America (worth noting his Czech numbers are just as good). It was clear that they see him and Trey Augustine as better options going forward, and getting a first-round pick for a player who hasn’t established himself (acknowledging that goalie timelines are different than skaters) is a nice piece of work.
As rough as the Justin Faulk trade looked after Detroit missed the playoffs, getting back in the first really helps lessen that. They essentially traded down eight spots and lost Cossa, Dmitri Buchelnikov and Elmer Soderblom (who they flipped for the third they included in this trade). If things go south this year, they’ll be able to get a little back for Faulk, too — I’d hope at least a first. A playoff berth would have been the ideal outcome, but they’ve been able to lighten the damage pretty quickly.
Meet the 2026 class
That covers the news. Let’s take a look at the seven new Red Wings this weekend. Overall, pretty average reviews from the draft pundits, but I’d encourage you all to take that with a grain of salt — those folks do great work, but no draft grade matters. There’s a lot of groupthink in public circles, and perceived value matters much, much less than results, 3, 5, 10, etc., years down the road.
I love the Hurlbert pick, and nailing your first is the most important part, but aside from that, two things stand out. First, it’s forward-heavy — aside from the players knocking on the door right now and recent top picks like Carter Bear, Max Plante and Eddie Genborg, who are a couple more years away, there aren’t a ton of mid-to-late round guys making much noise. They loaded up with five forwards who have distinctly different skillsets, so it’s nice to get away from that “Red Wings type” (an overblown take in my opinion, but still… gotta take some swings at some point). The second is that pretty much every draftee was loved by at least one scouting service that I trust. That doesn’t necessarily mean anything, but it’s always nice to see some public-sourced belief in a player that at least one Red Wings scout was banging the table for.
1st round, 23rd overall — J.P. Hurlbert, W/C, Kamloops (WHL)
Leader Kyle covered this one last night, but Hurlbert is universally regarded as one of the most offensively skilled players in the draft, finishing fourth in the WHL with 97 points in 68 games. There’s a reason he slipped; his skating is above average but not elite, and sometimes players with his frame (6’0″) need that extra gear to find offense at the NHL level. There’s debate as to whether he’s a center or a winger — he started at center and slid to wing this year, but he’ll join a loaded Michigan program that is probably heavier with wingers, so maybe he will get some opportunities down the middle (my bet is he’s a winger long term).
He seems like a guy who will ultimately need to be on a scoring line to make it to the NHL, but there are not many concerns about his effort or defensive play, either. Also worth noting (especially getting into the next pick) that he departed the U.S. NTDP after his U-17 year — pretty uncommon, but potentially stoking a trend now that college-bound players can play in the CHL, as this boosted his draft stock from what looked like a 2nd-3rd round player before the season to a consensus first-round pick. Hurlbert is a Texas native, but his family moved down from Michigan, so he was a Red Wings fan growing up. As, uh, recent events have shown, that doesn’t mean all that much, but it can add a layer of excitement, and it certainly wasn’t a reach given his rankings.
2nd round, 47th overall — Victor Plante, LW, U.S. NTDP
One of the cooler stories of Day 2, Victor joins his older brother Max in the Red Wings’ system and even matches his exact draft position (47th overall). The Plantes, sons of former NHLer Derek, are expected to skate on a line (Plantes: The Garden Line? I’ll see myself out) with oldest brother, Zam, at the University of Minnesota-Duluth — one of the main reasons that Max decided to return to college for his junior season despite winning the Hobey Baker.
Victor is a little more divisive — a borderline first to some outlets, but as low as a 5th to others, mostly because he’s the smallest among an already small family at 5’10”, 165. He was fourth on the NTDP in scoring in what was a down year for the program, with just nine drafted regulars — see Hurlbert’s departure above — so that could mean he has some untapped scoring yet to come. That was certainly the path for Max, who faced similar concerns about how much offense he had and answered emphatically to win the Hobey as a sophomore. Doesn’t mean there isn’t work ahead for Victor, but he has the drive to prove he was worth the risk.
3rd round, 79th overall — Michal Orsulak, G, Prince Albert (WHL)
Detroit has a type, and it’s Czech/Slovak goalies named Michal, as Orsulak joins Michals Postava (also Czech) and Pradel (Slovak) in Detroit’s system. Orsulak is a re-entry, having been passed over in the 2025 draft as one of the younger players available (Aug. 26 birthday). He made the move from the Czech junior leagues to Prince Albert in the WHL, tearing up the league to the tune of a 28-4-4 record and league-leading 2.22 goals-against average. Prince Albert was excellent, falling to Carter Bear’s Everett Silvertips in the WHL Finals.
He also started for the silver-medalist Czechia at the World Junior Championship, where his numbers weren’t as good (3.19, 0.874), but were enough in a small sample size to help the Czechs medal. He’s a big goalie (6’4″, 225) who may be going the collegiate route, as I’ve seen conflicting reports that he is committed to Northeastern… Can’t verify that, but if he does head to the NCAA he’ll give Detroit three goalies (along with Pradel and Rudy Guimond) starting their NCAA clock this fall.
4th round, 108th overall — Adam Levac, C, Peterborough (OHL)
Celebrating his 18th birthday today, Levac is an outlier in that he was not highly touted anywhere, but he brings a skillset that’s tough to find once players like him hit the pro ranks. Levac has a reputation for playing with an edge, both with a relentless work ethic and a few decently-publicized on-ice displays. One came in the form of a fight at the CHL Top Prospects game — not uncommon but still a bold move in what’s ultimately a showcase game. The other is an ugly mid-fight slewfoot that drew an eight-game suspension.
The mullet he’s rocking in those clips is about all you need to know — teams aren’t using fourth-round picks to address needs on the current NHL roster, but last year’s Red Wings could have used a player willing to do more when the team was being pushed around. I don’t think Levac is a goon by any stretch — he only had 47 penalty minutes after 27 last season — but he clearly can run a little hot. He also chipped in 44 points in 60 games for the Petes, so he can play as well. Let’s hope he can keep the energy up, stay on the right side of the suspension list, and keep expanding his offensive output.
5th round, 143rd overall — Beckham Edwards, C, Sarnia (OHL)
Edwards might be the best value pick of Day 2, consistently ranked around the third round (and as high as 32 by one outlet, Draft Prospects). He’s a do-it-all center with decent size (6’1″, 187) and a standout shot, who saw some time with Team Canada at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, which led to him being ranked much higher earlier in the year, but he slid as the year went on. Ultimately, he only managed to match his rookie OHL season totals (45 points in 64 games), but that can partially be explained by the bottom-dwelling Sarnia Sting, who only have one other draftee on their roster.
One of the benefits of the new reality is that he doesn’t need to stick around on a rebuilding club, he’ll be heading to Notre Dame this fall. They were also a bit of a mess last season, but it’s a good opportunity for a fresh start at a higher level.
6th round, 175th overall — Luka Arkko, LW, Pelicans (Fin-Jr.)
I’d be lying if I said I’ve ever seen a Finnish junior league game, but Arkko is the type of profile I like to see in late-round gambles. He produced 25 points in 42 games for the Lahti Pelicans and was second on Finland at the Hlinka Gretzky with three goals in five games. He has good size, as a 6’3″, 212-pound winger and was Central Scouting’s 34th-rated European skater and rated 118 by The Hockey News (both numbers would slate him around a 4th-5th rounder).
Players like him will typically spend another year in the Finnish juniors (unless he has CHL aspirations, as the Import Draft is next week), and possibly debut in the SM-Liiga late next year or the year after. Arkko is noted for good touch around the net and strong playmaking ability.
7th round, 196th overall — Myles Brosnan, D, Dexter Southfield (USHS)
Detroit’s lone defenseman taken this year, Brosnan is pretty much exactly what you want in a seventh round of what was considered a weak draft, a prep school kid with crazy numbers and a long path ahead. He isn’t out in the wilderness or anything, as New England’s prep school ranks are pretty well-scouted, but he was all over the region this year, playing for Dexter Southfield High School, the AAA Brookline Whalers, and brief cameos with the USHL’s Sioux City Muskateers and U.S. NTDP U-18 team. In the prep ranks, he racked up a team-leading 51 points in 30 games as a defenseman.
He was ranked as high as 63rd overall by prospect analyst Tony Ferrari, and that’s what you like to see. The Wings’ eastern-based scouts and an independent analyst got at least a couple looks at him and thought, maybe there’s something here. He’s a Harvard commit for 2027-28, so I assume he’ll spend a full year in the USHL where we’ll get a better baseline of what to expect… Definite longshot, but the unknown is always enticing.
Detroit also flipped its additional seventh-rounder to Vegas for the Golden Knights’ seventh-round pick in 2027, so there was clearly no one else they were dying to gamble on. All in all, not the fireworks some fans expected this weekend, but there was business to take care of, and Detroit netted an interesting group.
Up next: free agency and… more waiting.
