The Detroit Red Wings’ annual Traverse City Prospects Tournament is just around the corner. But this year, only the Red Wings and Dallas Stars are participating. The two teams will play against each other twice on the weekend of Sept. 14. With that being said, the Red Wings roster has officially been announced, with a couple of high-level prospects making their way to the tournament, but for the most part, it is filled with players who are either invitees or headed to Grand Rapids or Toledo for the 2024-25 season. So, who is there to keep an eye on in the two games?
Michael Brandsegg-Nygård
A bit of an obvious one is the Red Wings’ 2024 first-round pick, Michael Brandsegg-Nygård. The 18-year-old Norwegian forward will be getting his first action in a Winged Wheel uniform and Traverse City and will be a player everyone will be keeping tabs on. After being touted for his all-around two-way game, it will be interesting to see how his game begins to translate into the North American game right off the bat.
Related: Red Wings Top 25 Prospects: Post-2024 NHL Draft
Brandsegg-Nygård has already found himself in game action as he played in Olympic qualifying games for his home country of Norway and stood out in those games, totaling two goals in three games while also showing his willingness to get involved in the physical aspect of the game. He should be one of the best players in “game shape,” thanks to having some playing time underneath his belt. A strong showing in the two games against the Stars would bring added excitement from Red Wing fans for this year’s 15th overall pick.
Ondrej Becher
Another draft pick from this year’s draft (third round), Ondrej Becher, is an interesting player to watch. He seems to be a late bloomer compared to other prospects, having a breakout season with the Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League (WHL) when he racked up 96 total points in the regular season. He was also one of the top contributors for the Czechia U20 World Junior Championship team in the 2024 tournament, with 10 points in seven games.
Being an older pick from this year’s draft (20 years old) and heading into his over-age junior hockey season, Becher could end up earning an entry-level contract (ELC) from the Red Wings if he can put up a strong enough showing in the two games and possibly even preseason if given the chance. The excitement he brings with his offensive prowess, mainly his playmaking abilities, could mix well with someone like Brandsegg-Nygård or Nate Danielson in a couple of weeks.
Shai Buium
The one defenseman that Red Wings fans should watch in the two games against the Stars will be 2021 second-round pick Shai Buium. While he does not come with the hype and first-round status of his brother Zeev (2024 first-round pick by the Minnesota Wild), Shai does come with a lot of upside in his game. After a successful three-season college career at the University of Denver, he made his way to Grand Rapids at the end of the season. He is expected to play with the Griffins this season.
Buium is a defenseman who can handle himself at both ends of the ice. He saw his production improve offensively throughout college while playing a solid defensive game. There are hopes that he can continue developing his game in Grand Rapids and become a staple for the Red Wings’ defensive core at some point. A strong showing from him in Traverse City would surely be a welcome sign and a sign of things to come in Grand Rapids this season. It would give even more hope for the young defensemen the organization has in its system (including Axel Sandin Pellikka, Albert Johansson, etc.).
Jakub Rychlovský
The first player listed who is not a draft pick of the Red Wings, but rather an offseason free agent signing by general manager (GM) Steve Yzerman this offseason. Jakub Rycholvský comes to North America for the first time in his career, having spent all his playing days in Czechia. He will be another player like Brandsegg-Nygård, who will be interesting to watch as he gets accustomed to the playing style of the North American game. But with that being said, he does bring some strong playmaking abilities with him after having a breakout season in 2023-24 with the Bílí Tygři Liberec organization (46 points in 51 games played).
He may not be a player who makes the NHL roster this season, but at the age of 23 and entering his first professional season with Grand Rapids, he could very well end up being a solid free agent signing for the organization’s depth not only for the Griffins but hopefully at some point in the NHL lineup as well.
Josh Van Mulligen
An invitee to this year’s event, Josh Van Mulligen, will stand out almost immediately when he steps on the ice thanks to his large frame of 6-foot-3, 205 pounds. This last season, he had a bit of a breakout season from the backend of the ice for the Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL and tallied 22 points after only recording nine in the 2022-23 season. Last season, he got more involved in the offensive game and showed more willingness to jump into the rush from his defenseman position.
As you can imagine, Van Mulligen uses his size to his advantage, especially defensively. He can shut down rushes with his length, and if need be, he throws his weight around and has no issue doing so. He may not be a player who ends up with the Red Wings organization at the end of the weekend. Still, a strong showing could help him land with another NHL organization or help build off of it heading into his season with Medicine Hat after getting passed over in the 2023 Draft.
Exciting Start to the Season
While this year’s tournament has become just a two-team matchup, it still marks the beginning of the 2024-25 season and brings the excitement of seeing some young players make their first appearances for an NHL organization. It also marks the second time that 2023 first-round pick Nate Danielson appears in the event.
