The Detroit Red Wings have been rebuilding for quite some time now, and through these lean years they have succeeded in developing one of the league’s strongest pools of young talent. Some of these players, like Axel Sandin Pellikka or Trey Augustine will need a while still before challenging for a roster spot in Hockey Town, while others could figure into Detroit’s lineup as soon as this coming Fall.
The 2021-22 season was a fun one for Red Wings fans as Mortiz Seider and Lucas Raymond simultaneously made the jump to the NHL, and I think fans could be in for a similar experience next season. With Simon Edvinsson seemingly earning his full-time NHL spot, Detroit seems prepared to go into opening night of the 2024-25 season with at least one high-end rookie, but I think we could see a significant number of youngsters in the Red Wings’ roster early on next season.
Added Youth on the Backend Wouldn’t Hurt
As I mentioned above, it appears that Edvinsson has locked in a role with the Red Wings for the remainder of this season, and should be considered a near-lock for opening night next October. His size and length have already served Detroit well and he’s been able to make a few key plays (like a great keep on the blue line) that nobody else on the roster could have even attempted.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Edvinsson works his way into Detroit’s top-four early on next season, especially if he can develop some chemistry with anyone else in Detroit’s d-corps to form a second strong pairing, allowing Jake Walman and Seider’s historically difficult workload to be lightened a bit. He has certainly looked good enough to win that role soon, and I also wouldn’t be surprised to see him earning more power play time next year, especially if the team moves on from Shayne Gostisbehere.
Related: 2024 NHL Draft Ranking – Horn’s Top 100 for April
There’s another defender in the organization that I think is more likely to crack the NHL roster next year than people think, Albert Johansson. Johansson loses his waiver-exempt status next year, so the team would risk losing him on waivers at the start of the season when sending him to the Grand Rapids Griffins. Granted, there have been other prospects who have slipped through waivers in recent years, as most teams don’t have a lot of wiggle room roster space-wise during training camp.
However, every mention of Johansson by Red Wings staff over the past 12 months or so has been positive and I hesitate to believe they would risk losing someone with his well-rounded skill set for nothing. If they decide to keep him in the NHL next year, there’s a real chance he spends quite a few games in the press box as a healthy scratch, but I also think his smart, methodical style could be a real boon for the team in a limited role.
Johansson isn’t likely to be a high-end NHL player, but I think it’s reasonable to expect him to excel in a third pairing role. He senses the development of plays well, whether he has the puck or not, and is a really smooth skater. Detroit has a lot of mediocre defenders on contracts with some term still, so they may need to trade or demote on of that group to make some room for Johansson if they think he’s ready, and I, for one, would be in favor of such a move.
Space Opening Up Front
Jonatan Berggren seemed like he had earned a full time NHL role this year after scoring 28 points in 67 games last season, but the additions of Alex DeBrincat, Daniel Sprong, and Patrick Kane undermined his chance at a roster spot. Three new offense-only wingers bumped him down a few rungs in the organization, and I’d expect at least two of those players to be back next season.
Sprong has been a healthy scratch several times over the past month, and his role could be up for grabs if Detroit decides against extending him before free agency. I don’t think the gap in talent is all that wide between Sprong and Berggren, plus bringing in a younger player on a significantly lower cap hit could save some cap space that the team will likely use to sign Raymond and Seider to their extensions.
If the team is looking to add another big fish this offseason, in the form of a goaltender (Jacob Markstrom?), a legit top-four defender (Brett Pesce?), or a scoring winger (Jake Guentzel or Sam Reinhart?), they will need to squeeze out some cap savings somewhere else in the lineup. Adding a forward on an entry-level deal to the NHL lineup would go a long way in saving some cap space, and there are at least three young players who would seriously compete for such a spot.
Marco Kasper’s tenacity and two-way play has translated really well to the AHL this season, after a relatively brief adjustment period. He won’t likely be a significant points guy in the NHL, but his ability to win puck battles makes a big difference and would help the team be “harder to play against”, as the team’s coaching loves to say.
Carter Mazur will also have a chance, and he’s shown both in the NCAA and the World Juniors that he has a knack for playing with high-end talent and rising to their level. He’s great around the net and his ability to win position and get to rebounds first should translate quite well. Mazur could, in theory, develop into a Tyler Bertuzzi-type player who is incredibly frustrating to play against, and really easy to root for.
Lastly, I’d offer up Nate Danielson as a good option for the Red Wings’ lineup next season. Danielson surprised pretty much everyone by looking right at home against grown men in the NHL preseason just months after being drafted. He hasn’t exactly lit the WHL on fire points-wise this season, but ever since he was traded to the Portland Winterhawks mid-season, he has certainly shown more of his offensive potential.
I’m still a massive believer in Danielson’s potential as a center with NHL size and skating who can do just about everything you could ask from a future two-way, second line center. His early birthday means that he can play in the AHL next season rather than needing to return to the WHL once again, but I’m not certain he won’t just jump right into the Red Wings’ lineup next year.
Lots of Young Options for 2024-25 Season
While Edvinsson is the only young player in the Red Wings organization that seems to have a clear path into the NHL next year, I really do believe that more young guys will crack the lineup from the very start. Many fans were upset that the team didn’t play more of them in the NHL this season, but they instead decided to have them build some chemistry in the AHL where they have been a part of a very successful season in Grand Rapids.
Related: The NHL’s Top 100 Prospects – Midseason Update
Whether we see three or four new young faces in Detroit next season or not, it’s clear that more and more of the players at the top of their prospect pool are inching toward the NHL. Sebastian Cossa, Augustine, and Sandin Pellikka are all unlikely to see NHL minutes next season, but they also represent a ton of future NHL talent working their way toward hockey’s highest level. Despite Detroit’s murky playoff hopes, the future is still incredibly bright in Hockey Town.