The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan posted a 25-image photo gallery in which he ranks the Red Wings‘ top 25 prospects, and Kulfan prefaces the gallery with the following:
The talent pool was satisfactory before the NHL Entry Draft. The Red Wings had a growing number of prospects who looked as if they could someday make an impact at the NHL level.
But, after what many analysts felt was one of the better hauls of any team in June’s draft, the Red Wings are that much stronger and deeper.
That was apparent at the recent Wings’ development camp. The organization gathered many of their top prospects, including the 11 picks from June’s draft, and excited fans with their skill and potential.
“It’s fun watching skill,” Shawn Horcoff, director of player development, said after a high-flying intra-squad scrimmage to end the camp. “You can tell these guys have a bright future. That was hopefully the start of many more viewings like that.”
Michael Rasmussen (2017, first round), Filip Zadina (2018, first round) and Dennis Cholowski (2016, first round) lead the parade of top prospects.
The photo gallery speaks for itself…
1. Michael Rasmussen, 6-foot-6, 221 pounds, center 2017-18 stats: Tri-City (WHL) — 47 games, 31 goals, 28 assists Acquired: 2017, first round, No. 9 overall Skinny: It would be shocking, at this point, if Rasmussen doesn’t begin the season in the NHL. He impressed, again, at the recent development camp, not only with his skills but with his maturity and desire to live up to other people’s expectations. He isn’t likely to be awed by the NHL.
Thanks for this link, George.
It looks good, but since we need 2 elite centers to lead the 2 Lines necessary to win in the NHL, I certainly hope that Rasmussen enters as-a-Center instead of following Larkin’s torturous path of starting as someone else’s winger.
Yes, Zetterberg did start as-a-winger and then he developed into an Elite Center… can you think of 3 other Elite Centers who have done that? I can’t think of any Center as-good-as-Zetterberg-was who started as a Winger. (I still have great reasons to hope that Larkin’s development continues & he beats the odds against him and becomes an Elite Center, but I’d rather not have to hope that Rasmussen can beat the odds as well.)
If you can play Center in the NHL, usually you can play Center when you enter the league.