Get to Know the Red Wings’ 2026 Draft Class

While a lot of the news surrounding the Detroit Red Wings continues to be about captain Dylan Larkin requesting a trade, the 2026 NHL Entry Draft took place over the weekend (June 26 and 27), and the Red Wings and general manager (GM) Steve Yzerman had a busy two days, adding a total of seven more prospects to the organization’s pipeline system.

Round 1, Pick 23 (via Utah Mammoth)- LW JP Hurlbert, Kamloops Blazers (Western Hockey League)

After Yzerman and the Red Wings sent Cossa to the Mammoth for the 23rd pick in the first round, they selected a winger who is a bit different than what fans are used to seeing the organization pick. Yzerman has shown he likes players with a full 200-foot game, but JP Hurlbert is more of an offensive threat than a defensive one.

On the offensive side of things, the Texas-born Hurlbert is lethal. He immediately adds a true goal-scorer in the Red Wings’ system. After leaving the United States Developmental Program for the WHL in his draft-year season, he became one of the league’s most lethal goal-scorers, putting up the fourth-most goals with 42. But that is not all that he brings to the offensive side, as he has the playmaking skills to be a dual-threat with the puck on his stick. He also put up the eighth-most assists in the WHL, racking up 55 assists. His season was rewarded, winning the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy (WHL Rookie of the Year).

If he is able to develop his defensive game to come even close to his offensive game, Hurlbert has the potential to become a top-six difference maker for the Red Wings in the near future. The swing on a prospect with a ton of offensive upside is a change of pace for Yzerman and his staff and could end up paying off in a big way.

Round 2, Pick 47- LW Victor Plante, United States National Team Developmental Program (USNTDP)

A last name that is very well-known amongst Red Wings fans, Victor Plante, joined the organization after seeing his older brother, Hobey Baker Award winner (NCAA’s top player) Max, drafted with the exact same pick two years ago. The youngest Plante is more comparable to the prospects Yzerman is accustomed to picking, having a great two-way game in his repertoire. While he is on the smaller side (5-foot-10, 157 pounds), he does not let it slow him down and brings yet another prospect to the Red Wings’ pipeline who can play both sides of the puck at a high level.

Plante may not put up the points that his older brother Max does, but he has the playing style that the Red Wings love to have from their prospects, and his further offensive development at the University of Minnesota-Duluth alongside Max and his other brother Zam (Pittsburgh Penguins prospect) will surely be something that is watched with a close eye.

Round 3, Pick 79- G Michal Orsulak, Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)

Is anyone surprised that Yzerman went with a goaltender in the draft? He loves his goaltenders and got one of the better ones in the 2026 class in Michal Orsulak. With the trade of Cossa, there was a hole in the depth chart at the position, and Orsulak fills that well. He was a big reason that the Prince Albert Raiders had the success they did this season. He put up a 28-4-4 record in the regular season and then won another 13 games in the playoffs.

Standing at 6-foot-4, he has the size of an NHL goaltender already, and he moves around the crease well. After a strong draft-year season with Prince Albert and a solid showing at the Under-20 World Junior Championship (WJC) with Czechia, Orsulak should be able to further develop his game and at least become another solid goaltender in the Red Wings’ system. He has the upside to become a solid backup in the NHL.

Round 4, Pick 108- C Adam Levac, Peterborough Petes (Ontario Hockey League)

Another prospect that has the energy and motor that Red Wings’ fans are accustomed to seeing in the pipeline, Adam Levac has developed himself into a top-six OHL player with the Peterborough Petes and has the playing style to be an absolute pest on the ice while having some offensive upside (54 points this season). He may not end up becoming a top-six player for the Red Wings, but he has the potential to be a bottom-six center in a gritty, hard-to-play-against checking role, with some offense mixed in.

Round 5, Pick 143- C Beckham Edwards, Sarnia Sting (OHL)

Beckham Edwards draft-year season did not go exactly as hoped, but he has the potential to be a third-line center at the NHL level with the Red Wings for a few reasons. He was touted as a goal-scorer heading into his rookie season with the Sarnia Sting in the 2024-25 season, and he has shown that his shot release is top-notch, but his consistency and output just have not matched the hype to this point. Away from the puck, he is always around the play and gets himself in the right spot more times than not, and is tough to play against.

If the Red Wings developmental team can get Edwards on track and get the most out of the potential he has in his game, while also heading to Notre Dame this upcoming season, he could end up being a steal of a fifth-round pick.

Round 6, Pick 175- LW Luka Arkko, Pelicans U20 (U20 SM-sarja)

Sticking with the theme of a two-way player again, Luka Arkko has the size (6-foot-3, 209 pounds) to be a force on the ice. He has the motor and relentless play to be a bottom-six player at the NHL level if he can continue on the development path he is on. He has the disciplined, physical game to be in a checking role with plenty of upside in his offensive game as well.

After being a standout for Finland at the international level, Arkko has also shown that his offensive game can be on par with his all-around two-way game, putting up 25 points in 42 games at the U20 level. Watching how his development continues and if he can solidify himself in a top-line role next season at the U20 level will be something to keep an eye on with Arkko.

Round 7, Pick 196- RHD Myles Brosnan, Dexter Southfield High School (HS-MA)

For the second draft in a row, the Red Wings looked to Massachusetts high school hockey for their final draft pick after taking Grayden Robertson-Palmer in the seventh round of the 2025 Draft. This year, they went with the lone defenseman they selected, taking Myles Brosnan. Brosnan has a great two-way game from the backend of the ice, with strong mobility and skating ability to be a threat to skate the puck himself or to find teammates.

He plays a strong defensive game as well and will be a prospect to watch for development. He is currently committed to Harvard for his college hockey in the 2027-28 season. At the worst, Brosnan can become organizational depth at the defenseman position.

Another Solid Draft for the Red Wings

With everything surrounding the uncertainty of what next season will look like at the NHL for the organization, Yzerman and his staff did a solid job in the 2026 Draft with who they picked. The future continues to look bright with the prospects in the pipeline, and hopefully some of them can continue to make their way to the NHL in the near future.