Welcome back.

It’s time to kick off Daily Faceoff’s second annual NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown, looking at the best all 32 teams have to offer. We’re highlighting the top 10 prospects for every franchise, their biggest strengths and weaknesses and so much more.

The criteria for being labeled a “prospect” are simple: players generally have to have played in 50 or fewer NHL games or spent more time outside of the NHL than in it last year. Skaters over 23 years old are not included, with goaltenders needing to be 25 or under.

Today, we’re looking at the Detroit Red Wings.

When the Detroit Red Wings stopped being a playoff team more than half a decade ago, they had a rough pipeline, to say the least.

I was at the 2019 Traverse City tournament, an event that saw the likes of Adam Fox, Igor Shesterkin, Kaapo Kakko, Jake Oettinger, Philipp Kurashev, Thomas Harley, Kirby Dach and Brandon Hagel, among others. Looking back, it was seriously one of the deeper fields.

Detroit won the tournament, boasting a lineup that included Mortiz Seider, Joe Veleno, Filip Zadina and Taro Hirose, among others. Seider is a big piece of Detroit’s future, while Veleno hasn’t lived up to expectations and has mainly played a bit deeper in the lineup. Hirose has played some NHL games but has mostly stayed in the AHL with Grand Rapids, while Zadina was bought out and most recently played with San Jose.

In that time, Lucas Raymond has become a big-time threat up front, but they still lacked in the prospect department for a few years. Now? They boast one of the most impressive pipelines in all of hockey, with some serious depth at every position.

For starters, Simon Edvinsson and Axel Sandin-Pellikka are two of the best defensive prospects in hockey right now. Then you throw in recent first-rounders Michael Brandsegg-Nygard and Marco Kasper up front, and two of the best goaltending prospects in the game in Sebastian Cossa and Trey Augustine, and you’ve got a group that’s primed for a bright future.

Of course, it’s all fine and dandy, on paper, but they need these guys to produce. But it truly feels like the Red Wings aren’t too far away from being playoff-bound again.

Biggest Strengths

A year ago? The answer was high-end defensive depth. It hasn’t changed. If anything, I like the Swedish powerhouse trio of Edvinsson, Sandin-Pellikka and William Wallinder even more than I did a year ago. And that’s just scratching the surface, with Shai Buium also turning pro and after selecting John Whipple. That’s a good group to surround Seider with, and it will be a key part of the team’s eventual come-up once they’re out of the rebuild stage. Also, having two starter-caliber goaltenders in the system with Cossa and Augustine? That’s not even fair.

Biggest Weakness

And again, just like last year, I feel like the Red Wings are lacking a true impact forward – a true playdriver, if you will. I like some of the guys they have here – Kasper, Brandsegg-Nygard and Nate Danielson are all top-six candidates, but I don’t foresee them being real game-changers up front like we might see at some other positions for this club. It’s nitpicky because we’re still talking about one of the best pipelines in hockey, but they haven’t had a truly game-changing forward prospect since Lucas Raymond, and I don’t think we’re going to see that from any of the options listed here.

Fast Facts:
NHL GM: Steve Yzerman
Dir. Amateur Scouting: Kris Draper
AHL Affiliate: Grand Rapids Griffins
ECHL Affiliate: Toledo Walleye

*Simon Edvinsson (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

TOP 10 PROSPECTS

1. Simon Edvinsson, LHD, 21 (Detroit Red Wings)

Acquired: Drafted sixth overall, first round in 2021

It’s time for Edvinsson to make the jump to full-time duty. He had some brief looks the past two years, but I want to see him go out there and really push the needle and give the Wings the size and skill he brings to the table. Edvinsson looked more engaged at both ends of the ice in his 16-game NHL stint than he did in his first year in North America, and he has figured out how to command the ice better as his confidence continues to grow. The thing that stood out the most about Edvinsson in his draft year is that he doesn’t have many glaring flaws – he can skate, hit, has great reach and is good with the puck. The foundation is there for Edvinsson to be a star on the Red Wings for more than a decade.

2. Axel Sandin-Pellikka, RHD, 19 (Skelleftea, SHL)

Acquired: Drafted 17th overall, first round in 2023

It was an impressive year for ASP, who was named best defenseman at the World Juniors en route to a silver medal. He also won the SHL championship with Skelleftea and took home the Salming Trophy as the Swedish defenseman of the year. Not too shabby for his first full year playing against men, but it isn’t surprising given how dominant he was against his own age group last year. While Edvinsson is more about size, Sandin-Pellikka’s slick maneuvering with the puck will make him difficult to read, and he’s got the skating to really fly around the ice. All he does is impress at every level, and the fact he isn’t even Detroit’s best defensive prospect has to be exciting for a fanbase that seems to love their Swedish blueliners.

3. Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, RW, 18 (Skelleftea, SHL)

Acquired: Drafted 15th overall, first round in 2024

*Michael Brandsegg-Nygard (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

Brandsegg-Nygard might not be the flashiest player, but just about every scout I talked to feel confident in his ability to be an effective forward in the NHL. He had one of the best shot releases in the 2024 draft, and with the right linemates, he’s going to be one heck of a scoring threat. He looked great at the World Junior Championship for the lowly Norwegians and then finished the year off with a couple of great final games with the men’s national team. MBN plays at a high pace while logging significant ice time in the second-tier Swedish league. I expect him to be a solid two-way player in the NHL at the very least, and 50 points a year feels like a very attainable goal.

4. Marco Kasper, C, 20 (Grand Rapids, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted eighth overall, first round in 2022

Kasper’s first season in North America started off slowly, registering just five points in his first 16 games over the season’s first two months. He still had some difficult stretches, including a six-game pointless streak to close the regular season and kick off the playoffs. But when he was on his game, he was so good, eventually finishing with 14 goals and 35 points. Maybe it was having to adjust to living in a new environment or the increased speed and muscle of the AHL, but he finally got it, and it was excellent to see. Kasper isn’t likely a big producer in the NHL, but he’s an outstanding skater who likes to play physical and beat players with his hockey sense. He can fit anywhere in the lineup, just like Brendan Gallagher earlier in his career with the Montreal Canadiens.

5. Nate Danielson, C, 19 (Grand Rapids, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted ninth overall, first round in 2023

*Nate Danielson (Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports)*

From almost making the Game 1 roster to putting a beating on the WHL, Danielson had himself an exciting campaign. He had a point-per-game player on a bad Brandon Wheat Kings team before getting moved to Portland to become a leader to close out the season. He played some of his best hockey in the playoffs in a top-six role. He has built his success on two-way play, rush offense and charging up the ice at speed. Danielson is also a leader, becoming the Wheat Kings’ captain at just 17 years old, something teams value. Danielson built a reputation in his draft year as being a “safe” pick, someone who wouldn’t put a ton of points on the board, but would still become a good NHLer. And that’s the thing – I loved him in a more defensive, checking role at the World Juniors. The fact he’s so versatile and plays so many different roles will help him transition to pro next season.

6. Sebastian Cossa, G, 21 (Grand Rapids, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 15th overall, first round in 2021

The 2022-23 season was all about getting comfortable against pro competition – he mainly played in the ECHL with Toledo, but was one of the best goalies in the league. This past year was about taking a bigger step forward against tougher competition, and Cossa looked great with Grand Rapids. He’s set to return there for another year, where he’ll look to challenge for the AHL’s top goaltender award, and I wouldn’t bet against him. He’s huge at 6-foot-6 and moves incredibly well for his size while showing all the signs of being a future No. 1 NHL goaltender. I hope we see him get his first crack at an NHL game this year, too.

7. Trey Augustine, G, 19 (Michigan State, NCAA)

Acquired: Drafted 41st overall, second round in 2023

For the first time since I first watched Augustine back in 2021, I’ve associated Augustine with winning. He had a near-perfect record in his draft year, capped off with a great showing at the U-18 World Championship. He then won gold at the 2024 World Junior and took home the Big Ten championship while earning tournament MVP honors. Add in a few really good appearances at the World Championship and Augustine is truly on the top of his game. He doesn’t have Cossa’s size – Augustine is just 6-foot-1 – but he’s got a winning pedigree, a great glove hand, and an outstanding foundation to build around. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up being better than Cossa.

8. Carter Mazur, LW, 22 (Grand Rapids, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 70th overall, third round in 2021

After two excellent years with the University of Denver, Mazur put up a solid 37 points in 60 games as an AHL rookie this past season. What I like about Mazur is his pure energy, allowing him to win battles against bigger players because he simply outworks them. Mazur skates well, hits hard and always wants the puck, and he’s got an excellent shot, too. He’s never been a big-time producer, but I can see him playing a bottom-six role with the ability to step up when needed or even serve as a shooter on the power play. He’s not too high on this list, but I do think Mazur has real NHL potential, and I hope he gets into a few games sooner rather than later.

9. William Wallinder, LHD, 21 (Grand Rapids, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 32nd overall, second round in 2020

*William Wallinder (Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports)*

Numbers-wise, it was a quiet year for Wallinder. But performance-wise? Not so much. I thought he played some really good hockey in the second half, and I feel like he’ll be able to help fill the hole left by Edvinsson once he becomes a full-time NHLer. Wallinder is smart and steady, and he has better offensive potential than his rookie season might suggest. I think with more confidence and better decision-making with the puck, the results will start to show.

10. Max Plante, LW, 18 (University of Minnesota-Duluth, NCAA)

Acquired: Drafted 47th overall, second round in 2024

I really like Plante, who I think was one of the better playmakers in the 2024 NHL Draft class. He has skated alongside some of the USNTDP’s top talent and has excellent hand-eye coordination. Plante isn’t big, but he’s always looking to make a smart pass, and it pays off. He has put up good numbers, although I feel like he can get caught trying to make passes when he should just shoot the puck. Still, at this point, there’s so much to like about his on-puck play that if he ends up becoming a third-liner, he’ll be a good one at that. There’s still room for him to get physically stronger and be more confident shooting the puck, but he’s a good prospect.

Other notables: Elmer Soderblom, LW (23), Alexandre Doucet, C (22), Jakub Rychlovsky, LW (22), Emmitt Finnie, LW (19), Amadeus Lombardi, C (21), Austin Baker, LW (18), Ondrej Becher, C (20), Charlie Forslund, LW (18), Kevin Bicker, RW (19), Liam Dower Nilsson, C (21) Noah Dower Nilsson, LW (19), Jesse Kiiskinen, RW (18), Brennan Ali, C (20), Dmitri Buchelnikov, LW (20), Dylan James, LW (20), Maximilian Kilpinen, LW (20), Owen Mehlenbacher, LW (20), Red Savage, C (21), Kienan Draper, RW (22), Fisher Scott, LHD (19), John Whipple, LHD (18), Brady Cleveland, LHD (19), Shai Buium, LHD (21), Antti Tuomisto, RHD (23), Eemil Viro, LHD (22), Larry Keenan, LHD (19), Jack Phelan, RHD (20), Anton Johansson, RHD (20), Kyle Aucoin, LHD (22), Gage Alexander, G (22), Rudy Guimond, G (19), Landon Miller, G (18)

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