After nearly 30 years of making the post-season, the Steve Yzerman ‘Yzerplan’ has to feel like an eternity to the Detroit Red Wings fanbase.

The Red Wings haven’t made the playoffs since 2016, when they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games. Their last playoff series victory was more than a decade ago when they beat Anaheim in seven games back in 2013. This bottom-of-the-barrel we’ve seen in recent years has been an eye-opener for fans that want and expect much more.

But those dark days might be in the rearview mirror before too long. The Red Wings have a solid prospect pool, with some huge hits in the draft over the past few years. Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond were excellent selections, and Sebastian Cossa, Simon Edvinsson and Marco Kasper gave the team some high-impact prospects at their respective positions.

Add in a long-term deal for captain Dylan Larkin, the acquisition of Alex DeBrincat, and the huge season out of Jake Walman, and the Red Wings are trending upward. There’s still room to grow, and next season will be a big one as they handle a wave of free agency decisions. But thankfully, with one of the best crops of young prospects in the NHL, the return to glory isn’t far away.

Biggest Strength

With Edvinsson, Axel Sandin Pellikka and William Wallinder leading the way, the Red Wings have an exciting defensive pipeline right now. Moritz Seider and Jake Walman are a solid 1-2 punch right now, and the team has a decent helping of veterans in Justin Holl, Shayne Gostisbehere and Ben Chiarot. Edvinsson should fight for a roster spot in camp, while the other two aren’t far away. By the time the Red Wings are ready to start seriously contending, their blueline will look quite young, with Seider leading the charge. Also, with Cossa and Trey Augustine making waves, they’ve got one of the best 1-2 goaltending punches of any prospect pool. Nice work.

Biggest Weakness

If Kasper can’t produce at a high level in the NHL, will any forward in the system be able to step up? Carter Mazur is a solid prospect, but he’s more of a middle-six player. The team’s last real impact forward prospect was Raymond, who was selected in 2020. That wasn’t long ago, but after Filip Zadina and Joe Veleno never materialized, they’d probably like to find a bit more success in this department.

TOP 10 PROSPECTS

Simon Cossa (Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports) — *Sebastian Cossa (Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports)*

Grade: A

1. Simon Edvinsson, D, 20 (Detroit Red Wings)

Drafted: No. 6, first round in 2021

Detroit, I appreciate that you didn’t rush Edvinsson. After an excellent season in the SHL, the team could have rushed him to the NHL for 2022-23, but they didn’t. They let him simmer with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins, where he was one of the best players on a weak team. He had some solid moments down the stretch with the Red Wings, showing he was ready for a much bigger workload in 2023-24. Along with Seider, Edvinsson looks to be a huge piece of Detroit’s future. And that’s also literal, given he’s 6-foot-6.

2. Marco Kasper, C, 19 (Grand Rapids, AHL)

Drafted: No. 8, first round in 2022

It’s really difficult to produce as a junior-aged player in the Swedish Hockey League, one of the best European leagues in the world – and one that is more interested in winning than developing for the NHL. Over the past two years, only Anaheim Ducks prospect Leo Carlsson (25) has more points as a U-20 skater than Kasper (23). In fact, four of the top six U-20 scorers in that span happen to be Red Wings prospects. Kasper is the team’s top forward prospect for a reason – he’s physical, has a great shot, and is a good skater. He’ll have a chance to crack the Red Wings this year, but a year in the AHL wouldn’t hurt.

*Axel Sandin Pellikka (Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports*)

3. Axel Sandin Pellikka, D, 18 (Skellefteå AIK, SHL)

Drafted: No. 17, first round in 2023

Danielson was drafted first, but I like ASP’s potential a bit more. He was a feral beast at the U-20 level, but much more reserved against men in the SHL. A good puck-moving defenseman, ASP was the best defenseman at the U-18 World Championship and the U-20 Swedish league, too. He could score, set guys up and is an excellent puckhandler. While his top speed is still missing the next step, Sandin Pellikka’s acceleration was near the top of the defensive crop for the 2023 draft class. If he can unlock a bit more intensity with Skelleftea next season, he’ll be in excellent shape.

4. Nate Danielson, C, 18 (Brandon, WHL)

Drafted: No. 9, first round in 2023

Danielson projects to be more of a middle-six forward – someone many scouts consider to be a “safe” prospect. His ceiling wasn’t as high as some taken behind him, but he still has some strong traits. Danielson’s top-end speed was among the leaders near the top-end of the 2023 draft class. His transition game is a bit of a mixed bag, but he wins puck races and generates chances by outskating and outworking players in the offensive zone. On the rush, Danielson is excellent.

5. Carter Mazur, LW, 21 (Grand Rapids, AHL)

Drafted: No. 70 overall, third round in 2021

Mazur finished his electric two-year run at Denver with 22 goals and 37 points, making his mark as the team’s most lethal goal-scorer. He then turned pro and put up six points in six games, playing a big role right out of the gate for one of the worst teams in the league. Mazur also looked good against men at the World Championship, capping off an impressive season for the 21-year-old. Don’t be surprised if Mazur plays just a single season in the AHL before fighting for a middle-six role in Detroit – or maybe he achieves that out of camp this year.

*William Wallinder (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

6. William Wallinder, D, 20 (Grand Rapids, AHL)

Drafted: No. 32, second round in 2020

A big, two-way defenseman, it shouldn’t be understated how impressive it was that he managed to register 26 points in 50 games with Rogle in the SHL. That’s over half a point per game, which is hard even for forwards to achieve. Wallinder skated in one AHL game with Grand Rapids but will likely play the full season there.

7. Sebastian Cossa, G, 20 (Grand Rapids, AHL)

Drafted: No. 15, first round in 2021

One of the biggest goaltending prospects at 6-foot-6, Cossa had a tremendous season in the ECHL with a 26-16-1 record and four shutouts. It’s often hard for a young goaltender to get playing time as a 20-year-old pro newbie, so the fact he played more than 50 games between the AHL and ECHL is excellent. He should play full-time with Grand Rapids next year as he looks to continue rising up Detroit’s goaltending depth chart. Bringing in Trey Augustine will put more pressure on Cossa, but he’s definitely closer at this point.

8. Trey Augustine, G, 18 (Michigan State University, NCAA)

Drafted: No. 41, second round in 2023

One of the best goaltenders from the 2023 NHL Draft class, Augustine had a season to remember. He boasted a 30-1-2 record, a .926 save percentage, bronze at the world juniors and capped it off with a gold medal at the U-18 World Championship. The young goaltender just never seemed fazed, no matter the competition. That includes the world juniors, and despite a brutal, high-scoring final game killing his stats, he had some standout performances against Switzerland and Finland despite being the youngest starting goalie in the tournament. The Michigan State University goaltending prospect isn’t huge by any means at 6-foot-1, but it doesn’t seem to affect him negatively. He’s mobile, great at tracking the puck and has a great glove hand. There’s starter potential here, for sure.

*Amadeus Lombardi (Natalie Shaver/OHL Images)*

9. Amadeus Lombardi, C, 20 (Grand Rapids, AHL)

Drafted: No. 113, fourth round in 2022

Drafted as an overage prospect in 2022, Lombardi made the Red Wings scouting staff look like masterminds with his play last year. He recorded 45 goals and 102 points in 67 regular season games for the best output of his career. The speedy, skilled forward then made his AHL debut, recording an assist against Rockford in late April. Given he’s a late-bloomer who played in AAA in his first year of major junior eligibility, some scouts think he still has more he can unlock in his game. There’s some potential for him to be a total steal.

10. Elmer Soderblom, LW, 22 (Grand Rapids, AHL)

Drafted: No. 159, sixth round in 2019

The massive, 6-foot-8 forward made some noise during a 21-game run with the Red Wings, scoring five goals and eight points. He also had the same numbers in 20 AHL games, so that’s a +1 for consistency. Soderblom put up good numbers in Sweden before moving over to North America, showing off some solid skill. The Red Wings will likely push to have him stand more in front of the net, but he actually is quite skilled for a big forward.

Other notables: Dmitri Buchelnikov, LW, 19 (SKA. St. Petersburg, KHL), Albert Johansson, D, 22 (Grand Rapids, AHL), Cross Hanas, LW (21), Alexandre Doucet, C (21), Albert Viro, D (21), Dylan James, LW (19), Theodor Niederbach, C (21), Robert Mastrosimone, LW (22), Red Savage, C (20), Liam Dower Nilsson, C (20), Kevin Bicker, C/LW (18), Andrew Gibson, D (18), Shai Buium, D (20), Brady Cleveland, D (18), Jan Bednar, G (20)

Previous 2023-24 NHL Prospect Pool instalments

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